Mayo book underscores doctors' growing interest in folk remedies

Peppermint oil to help irritable bowel syndrome. Chile pepper seed rub to ease aching joints. Lavender to aid sleep. Hibiscus-flower tea to lower blood pressure.

Once dismissed by medical experts as grandma's superstition and folklore, herbal and natural cures such as these are getting a double dose of respect by mainstream physicians. Not only are they being recommended with increasing frequency, modern researchers are doing studies that find that many of these cures do in fact possess active biological agents that do just what Grandma told you they would.

MICHAEL HOGUE/Staff Artist

One of the latest signs of how seriously such treatments are being taken is the new Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies (Time Inc. Home Entertainment, $25.95). It's not the first book to deal with home remedies – syndicated columnists Joe and Teresa Graedon of the People's Pharmacy have several, and an online search for home remedies gets millions of hits – but this carries the name of the prestigious Minnesota organization.

Continue reading -

Mayo book underscores doctors' growing interest in folk remedies

And as Mayo Clinic publishes a book about natural health care, the EU plans to move ahead with the April deadline to ban natural remedies -

When the EU does something truly unpopular, it usually builds in a delay. Eurocrats know that national ministers are likelier to agree to measures which will blow up in the laps of their successors. Thus the restrictions on natural and alternative medicines, which were passed in 2004, will hit herbalists’ shelves in April.

The Independent reports that hundreds of traditional plant remedies are under threat, including Meadowsweet, Cascara Bark and Pau D’Arco. Some products will be proscribed outright; others subjected to a prohibitively expensive licensing regime. Read more

I'm one of the contributors to Doctor's Book of Home Remedies and six more for Rodale Press.

Stay tuned to Natural Health News to learn what you can do to stay well and be well in this toxic, and crazy, world.

Glaucoma Awareness: January

Minerals, like magnesium, are absolutely essential to longevity and quality of life.

Did You Know?  Your eye muscles may be stronger than any other in your body.

In 1995, researchers at the University Eye Clinic in Basel, Switzerland published a study on the effect of supplemental magnesium on glaucoma patients. A dose of 121.5 mg twice daily was administered to 10 glaucoma patients for one month. Results of the study substantiated that magnesium supplementation improved the peripheral circulation in blood vessels around the eye, with the accompanying benefit of an improved visual field. While magnesium is certainly not a cure for glaucoma, the improvement of symptoms could make it worth taking.

Even without the potential benefits to glaucoma patients, magnesium is a very useful mineral.

Magnesium is essential to more than 300 biochemical reactions in the human body. It affects critical areas such heart rhythm, blood sugar, and metabolism. Studies have shown that inadequate magnesium intake can contribute to various health problems including: osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. As if that weren’t enough, magnesium can be used as a muscle relaxant and sleep aid.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium for individuals over 30 years is 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women. A study published in 2003 by The Journal of Nutrition indicated that the average daily intake of magnesium was substantially below the RDA. With all the potential benefits magnesium can provide, ideally we should try to include as many magnesium-rich foods in our diet as possible. If you’re not able to get the RDA via your diet, oral supplementation can also be used.

Watch for our up and coming product review on Magnesium.

Magnesium rich foods, order high quality magnesium from CHI and help support Natural Health News.

Selections from Natural Health News

Longterm Steroid Use Causes Problems
Dec 08, 2007
If you take moderate to high doses of corticosteroids, have regular eye exams to check for glaucoma. * Ask your doctor whether you can reduce your oral steroid dose by adding other medications. * Have your blood pressure checked ...
Lawmakers have wooed seniors into the hole

Dec 04, 2009

Evodkia Kresch, 83, takes pills for glaucoma, diabetes and heart problems and has been in the doughnut hole for several months. She grew up in Ukraine and lost her parents and six siblings in the Holocaust. Her husband died two years ...
100000 deaths in hospitals each year are attributed to properly ...

Aug 21, 2006

Xalatan - used to relieve high pressure within the eye (a hallmark of the condition known as open-angle glaucoma). This drug may lead to changes in chromosomes, changes in pigment of eyelids, eye color and other effects on melanocytes, ...
Drug errors or other?
Jan 30, 2008

Labels could be applied that use "tall-man" lettering -- for instance the glaucoma drug acetaZOLamide, with the "ZOL" in the middle uppercased, versus acetoHEXamide, a drug used to treat diabetes that has a similar name. ...

Anemia Drug Risky for People with Diabetes

I'd be very happy if we could go back to the time when medicine was simpler, treatments were simpler, and traditional medical care was more of an art and focused on patients like it used to be.

But you see Big PhRMA and Big Insurance just doesn't want it to be so. This is especially true if you estimate the cost of one dose to be in excess of $300 to more than $1,600 for the medicine, depending on dose, with additional fees for administration.

This is a great example of why the system is failing.

Diabetes: Poor response to anti-anemia drug predicts higher risk of heart disease or death
ScienceDaily (2010-12-29) -- Patients with diabetes, kidney disease and anemia who don't respond to treatment with an anti-anemia drug have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or death, researchers have found. ...  read full article

Additionally this genetically engineered (recombinant) drug carries with it severe risk of clotting which may increase your risk of heart attack or death.

This drug is also used for people enduring chemotherapy.

WARNING

In a kinder gentler way, blood status can be changed without drugs, the way it used to be done...

Selections from 30+ found in Natural Health News  
Anti-Anemia Drugs: B12 is Better, Safer
Oct 19, 2010
Working as I do from time to time with people who experience serious anemic states because of their health condition or prescribed drugs, I have to stand on the side AGAINST the anemia drugs, regardless of health condition. ...
Death Risk Ups with Cancer Anemia Drugs
May 07, 2009
ScienceDaily (2009-05-07) -- The use of drugs to encourage red blood cell formation (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents) in cancer patients with anemia increases the risk of death and serious adverse events such as blood clots, ...
Natural Health News: Biochemic Help for Malaria
Dec 15, 2010
Additional cell salts Calc Phos (calcium phosphate) can help with secondary anemia resulting from the disease. Ferr Phos (iron phosphate) the oxygen supplying cell salt is very helpful when there is fever and vomiting of undigested food ...
If vitamins are so bad why is FDA giving them to PhRMA
Apr 06, 2010
It is also important for the prevention of cancer and the prevention and treatment of seizures, anemia, mental disorders including schizophrenia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other conditions. Its effect on carpal tunnel can seem almost ...

More Food Folly

While Dr OZ is pushing turkey bacon, you might want to know why I chose uncured pig bacon instead, along with REAL yoghurt.

TURKEY BACON
Pork bacon’s got a bad rap for wreaking havoc on your cholesterol. But is turkey bacon really any better?

The Truth: Stick with the pig. As far as calories go, the difference between “healthy” turkey bacon and “fatty” pig is negligible—and depending on the slice, turkey might sometimes tip the scales a touch more. Additionally, while turkey is indeed a leaner meat, turkey bacon isn’t made from 100 percent bird: One look at the ingredients list will show a long line of suspicious additives and extras that can’t possibly add anything of nutritional value. And finally, the sodium content of the turkey bacon is actually higher than what you’ll find in the kind that oinks—so if you’re worried about your blood pressure, opting for the original version is usually the smarter move.

Eat This Instead: Regular bacon. We like Hormel Black Label and Oscar Mayer Center Cut bacon for some low-cal, low-additive options.

And for the (fake) yogurt eaters, here's a new take on what we have been saying for decades -

FRUIT ON THE BOTTOM YOGURT
It seems like the ideal breakfast or snack for a man or woman on the go—a perfect combination of yogurt and antioxidant-packed fruits, pulled together in one convenient little cup. But are these low-calorie dairy aisle staples really so good for you?

The Truth: While the yogurt itself offers stomach-soothing live cultures and a decent serving of protein, the sugar content of these seemingly healthy products is sky-high. The fruit itself is swimming in thick syrup—so much of it, in fact, that high-fructose corn syrup (and other such sweeteners) often shows up on the ingredients list well before the fruit itself. And these low-quality refined carbohydrates are the last thing you want for breakfast—Australian researchers found that people whose diets were high in carbohydrates had lower metabolisms than those who ate proportionally more protein. Not to mention, spikes in your blood sugar can wreck your short-term memory, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Not what you need just before your urgent 9 a.m. meeting with the boss!

Eat This Instead: Plain Greek-style yogurt, mixed with real blueberries. They’re jacked with about 15 to 22 grams of belly-filling protein, so they’ll help you feel satisfied for longer. And blueberries are another great morning add—scientists in New Zealand found that when they fed blueberries to mice, the rodents ate 9 percent less at their next meal.

tips from Eat This, Not That!, by David Zinczenko.

Adding the benefits of berries?  New in 2011: Our "simply4health Daily Fruit" and our High ORAC value Aronia berry capsules. Goji can be ordered directly, see "Rich Nature Super Fruits" in the right column.

Big Insurance Moves in on Medicaid

• An excerpt, DECEMBER 29, 2010

Insurers Bid for State Medicaid Plans

BY AVERY JOHNSON

Health insurers are preparing to capitalize on $40 billion of new opportunities to run privately managed Medicaid plans for the states, which would position insurers to benefit from the health overhaul's expansion of Medicaid in 2014.

Medicaid, the state and federal program for the poor, has become a growth area for big insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc. and more specialized plans such as Molina Healthcare Inc. Texas and Georgia will solicit new contracts for their private Medicaid plans early next year, while California, Florida and others are likely to meaningfully expand their programs, companies and states have said.

Healthy and Wise

Over at the Everett Herald one of the longtime writers once penned an article about camping.  The thing that caught my eye was her menu because it included things like hot dogs, bacon, ham, and a variety of chips and white bread buns to add to the folly.

I contacted here to suggest her menu could be a bit healthier and she replied, “You have to die of something”.  To this I said, “Yes, only a life well lived”.

I guess paying a price for a longer life falls in to the “you have to die of something” category, but I continue to support the concepts that help you live long and live healthy.

Exercise can be one of those ‘helpers’ as can learning to use non-pharmaceutical methods to keep you healthy and well through the ages and stages of your life.

Fit at Any Age: Workout

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/thumbnails/0,,20365122,00.html

EAST ANGLIA, England, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A British physiotherapist says making just one lifestyle change -- exercise -- can help improve health.
Leslie Alford of the University of East Anglia, England, who has reviewed 40 international studies on the value of exercise, takes issue with those who say: "What's the point? I've never been able to lose weight or give up smoking, why should I exercise?"
Of course, says Alford, it would be ideal to exercise, abstain from smoking, eat a healthy diet and have a body mass index -- a measure of body weight based on height -- lower than 25.
"The more of these healthy traits an individual has the less likely they are to develop a range of chronic disorders," Alford says in a statement. "It is obviously desirable for an individual to give up smoking and maintain a healthy weight range, but if they cannot, they will still gain health benefits from increasing their physical activity."
Alford says it is important patients understand the health benefits of losing weight or giving up smoking. However, if a patient cannot lose weight or give up smoking, he or she should still be encouraged to be more physically active.
Alford's review is published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

December 27, 2010

Aging: Paying the Physical Price for Longer Life

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Americans are living longer, but those added years are more likely to be a time of disease and disability.

An analysis of government data has found that while life expectancy has steadily increased over the past decade, the prevalence of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes has also increased, and disability has grown as well.

For example, in 1998 about 16 percent of men in their 70s had a mobility problem — that is, they failed one of four commonly used physical tests. By 2006, almost 25 percent failed at least one.

Writing in the January issue of The Journal of Gerontology B, the authors conclude that people live longer not because they are less likely to get sick, but because they survive longer with disease.

As a result, a 20-year-old man today can expect to live about a year longer than a 20-year-old in 1998, but will spend 1.2 years more with a disease, and 2 more years unable to function normally.

The lead author, Eileen M. Crimmins, a professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California, said that while we have been very successful in increasing the length of life, it comes at a cost.

“Longer life is what we want,” she said. “But we’re going to have to pay for it with more treatment of diseases and accommodations for disability.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/health/research/28longevity.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=health

Maybe this article is a plug for "death panels"?

Citrus Season Goodies

Whole food is much better for you, we know.  Today we have to take care to buy organic or to be sure to use an effective system to remove farm chemicals and fungicides used in the citrus business from food like those recommended in our publication “FOOD SAFETY: CLEANSING OPTIONS”.  GMO oranges are suggested to be coming soon too, so taking care to avoid these will become very crucial.

It is best to eat all food in season, so let us make good vitamin C products available to you for your best health.

I think it is good to understand that for oranges, other foods, and herbs,it is the "powerful combinations of compounds" that make the better than selected constituents in standardized forms.

Hesperidin and rutin from whole fruit like oranges is excellent for helping your health when you have varicosities.

Citrus foods are good for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification.  Join us in 2011 for our year long focus on this very important topic. Most people do not understand the process and most products don't really do the best job.  There is much more to this than a quick colon cleanse.  Be ready to learn!

PROVO, Utah, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- What makes fruit so healthy is not one compound or another but how fruit compounds combine, a U.S. nutritionist says.
Tory Parker of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, says oranges, blueberries, strawberries and other fruits are so healthful because they contain powerful combinations of compounds. This is the reason why the whole orange is healthier than the orange's components taken separately.
"There's something about an orange that's better than taking a vitamin C capsule, and that's really what we're trying to figure out," Parker says in a statement."We think it's the particular mixture of antioxidants in an orange that makes it so good for you.
"Carbs and fat increase free radicals, and fruit and internal antioxidants counteract that -- that means fruit should be your desert," Parker says in a statement."We're looking for synergistic effects -- cases where the effect of two or more antioxidants together was stronger than the sum of them separately."
Parker and colleagues will be seeking patents for some of the identified combinations of antioxidants that were the most synergistic -- especially involving the compounds hesperidin and naringenin -- that seemed to contribute the most.
The findings are published in the Journal of Food Science.

Why 98.6 May Be Good For Your Body

A mathematical model finds that a temperature of about 98.6 F is high enough to ward off the majority of fungal infections, but still low enough to only require a manageable level of food intake.

As a bitter winter storm rages on the east coast, it’s hard to knock being warm-blooded. But what about the metabolic cost of maintaining a high body-temperature? Well, a new study finds that we and many other mammals keep up such a torrid temp because it’s a Goldilocks situation—98.6 is just right.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers previously showed that every one degree Celsius rise in body temperature wards off about 6 percent more fungal species. So tens of thousands of fungi can infect reptiles and amphibians, but we can only be invaded by a few hundred fungi.
In the new work, the researchers created a mathematical model that weighed the fungal protection benefits versus the metabolic cost of high body-temperature. And the optimal temperature was 98.1, quite close to what evolution figured out. The research was published in the open-access journal mBio. [Aviv Bergman and Arturo Casadevall, Mammalian Endothermy Optimally Restricts Fungi and Metabolic Costs]
Too low a temperature and we’re far more susceptible to fungal infections. Too high a temperature and we’d spend all our time taking in fuel to burn. So 98.6, like that middle bowl of porridge, is just right.
—Steve Mirsky
Read complete article or listen to podcast.

Also think Thermography.

Homeopathy Does Help

Just before this negative article was published on BBC News a very good report on homeopathy was published showing strong scientific basis for this form of both medicine and lay care.

Generally speaking I would not consider homeopathy to be "alternative medicine", but a form of health care that has proven extremely beneficial to tens of thousands of people around the world over several hundred years.

Of course, when people benefit from something other than "mainstream, drug based medicine" we hear the attacks, not based on the naysayers reviewing any of the science behind the art.

I was often given homeopathic remedies as a child and I used them for my children.  I find they are still very beneficial  for the health of humans and animals as well.

Dana Ullman has written on homeopathy for children and infants.  Miranda Castro has written another useful book in this area.  Many others are available.

I note that this article makes no comparison between the deaths in children and infants from vaccines or mainstream drugs.

23 December 2010 Alternative remedies 'dangerous' for kids says report

 

By Dominic Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News

Alternative remedies can have side effects, particularly for vulnerable groups like children

Alternative remedies can be dangerous for children and even prove fatal if taken instead of conventional drugs, according to a new study.

The report warns of possible adverse reactions in youngsters who are given alternative remedies.
Researchers say parents sometimes think remedies are "more natural" with fewer side effects than conventional drugs.
But in nearly two thirds of the cases the side effects were rated as severe, life threatening or fatal.
The study, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, looked at 39 separate incidents reported to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit between 2001 and 2003.
The children ranged from babies to 16 year olds.
Child deaths In 30 cases, the issues were "probably or definitely" related to complementary medicine, and in 17 the patient was regarded as being harmed by a failure to use conventional medicine.
The report says that all four deaths resulted from a failure to use conventional medicine.
One death involved an eight-month-old baby admitted to hospital "with malnutrition and septic shock following naturopathic treatment with a rice milk diet from the age of three months for 'congestion'".

"Inert remedies like homeopathy, even though they in themselves are harmless, can be life threatening when they replace effective treatments” Edzard Ernst Professor of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter

"Another death involved a 10-month-old infant who presented with septic shock following treatment with homeopathic medicines and dietary restriction for chronic eczema," the authors say.

One child had multiple seizures after complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) were used instead of anti-seizure drugs due to concerns about potential side effects.
The fourth death was of a child who needed blood-clotting drugs but was given complementary medicine instead.
The study found that parents used alternative therapies to treat anything from constipation to clotting disorders, and diabetes to cerebral palsy.
High and unacceptable rate The authors, from the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, said: "Many of the adverse events associated with failure to use conventional medicine resulted from the family's belief in complementary and alternative medicine and determination to use it despite medical advice."
Dr William Van't Hoff, a consultant paediatrician and a spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, says this is an important, well constructed study that demonstrates "a high and unacceptable rate of adverse events" associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
"It's important to note that the four deaths related to the failure of the family to use conventional medicine. Probably the most important risk is that families abandon or delay the use of conventional medicine and rely on CAMs.
"The second concern is that CAMs can interact with other medicines or have toxic effects. There's a presumption that these are natural remedies and families don't appreciate this and may even attribute the toxic effect to the conventional therapy."
'Nonsense' Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at Exeter University, says it is well known that alternative therapies can have side effects, especially in vulnerable groups like children.
"All of these treatments can have side effects but there's also a risk of alternative therapies replacing effective treatments.
"So inert remedies like homeopathy, even though they in themselves are harmless, can be life threatening when they replace effective treatments.
"Children don't make decisions themselves about their treatment; very often it is their parents, and parents can be misguided by the 50 million alternative medicine websites. The children are victims of lots of nonsense and false claims."

selections from Natural Health News (more than 30 posts)

Natural Health News: Homeopathy for Hypertension

Nov 24, 2010

Homeopathy, a branch of alternative medicine based on the Law of Similars, is one of the most effective hypertension treatments, in my opinion. Homeopathic theory views disease as a dynamic disturbance that affects the whole, ...

Natural Health News: Scientific Foundation for Homeopathy Discovered

Nov 29, 2010

French virologist Luc Montagnier stunned his colleagues at a prestigious international conference when he presented a new method for detecting viral infections that bore close parallels to the basic tenets of homeopathy. ...

Consumers Exploring Homeopathy

Apr 29, 2008

I am so convinced that homeopathy IS the medicine of the future that we chose this format- in our Simply4Health line - for the 21st Century version of BioSupplemente, in order to maintain it for perpetuity. ...

Homeopathy Does Work in spite of critics

May 25, 2008

Homeopathy is a centuries-old form of medicine that takes a substance that might otherwise cause symptoms or harm and dilutes it until the substance becomes virtually undetectable. Yet homeopathy's supporters say the infinitesimal ...

Better Ways to Save on Drugs: Beyond Plan D

With the Medicare Plan D only giving those in the "doughnut hole" a 50% reduction in Big PhRMA's retail prices perhaps, if you are a drug user, you might be better off with these optional plans, or those offered by the drug manufacturers.

Here is a really good related article, very much worth your time to read and watch...

Walmart and Target $9 Generic Prescription Drugs Levitra, Fosamax, Sprintec, Tamoxifen, Clomid

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben Mon Dec 27, 2010

You may know about Walmart and Target pharmacies' $4 (30-day) and $10 (three-month) generic prescription drugs. Both stores carry $9/$24 Levitra, ReliOn Ventolin, Fosamax, Clomid, Proscar, Tamoxifen, Sprintec and other generic drugs. The $4 for 30-day, $10 three-month and the $9/$24 prescription lists are regularly updated to include new medications as they are approved also.
Here are links to each store's $4/$10 generic prescriptions
Walmart Retail Prescription Drug Program List
Kroger $4/$10 Prescriptions
Target $4/$10 Prescriptions
Walmart, Kroger and Target sell many of the same $4/$10 generic prescription drugs, but they are grouped differently on each list. For example, Walmart lists prescriptions like Fluoxetine (generic equivalent of Prozac) under "Mental Health," while Target lists Fluoxetine under "Antidepressant." Kroger lists $4 prescription drugs alphabetically while Target and Walmart have alphabetical and By condition lists.
Walmart and Target have added a $9 30-day and $24 for three month prescription drug category. Drugs in this category include Finasteride (Proscar), Alendronate (Fosamax), Clomiphene (Clomid), Sprintec birth control (Norgesimate, Estradiol), Tri-Sprintec and Tamoxifen (Novladex) 10mg and 20mg varieties. Both Walmart and Target sell Wellbutrin and Zyban smoking cessation generic equivalent Bupropion 150 MG SR for $9 (17 count). In the Men's Health category, Walmart and Target sell Levitra (used to treat Erectile Dysfuction) for $9 per tablet. The best price online for Levitra is $67.50 for four tablets.
Adults and parents of children with asthma will be glad to hear generic equivalent Albuterol, ReliOn/ Ventolin HFA Inhalers 8g/ 60 puff size, are now available for $9. Explore each store's list of over 300 prescriptions. Kroger, Target and Walmart all sell $4/$10 generic prescription drugs from many health categories: allergy, antidepressants, anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, antibiotics, antacids, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, arthritis, cardiac/hypertension, cancer/oncology, cholesterol, diabetes, eye and ear preparations, hormones, incontinence, muscle relaxers, Parkinson's, prostate, seizures/epilepsy, steroids, gastro-intestinal/stomach, thyroid, tuberculosis, Vitamins (including prenatal) and Women's Health issues.
The $4/$10 generic prescription drugs are available to everyone regardless of insurance or lack of insurance. There are no special qualifications to participate in the program. You should ask your physician or pediatrician to prescribe drugs on this list and generic drugs when possible. Request Kroger, Walmart or Target for your preferred pharmacy.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben, a 10-year veteran homeschooler, has nearly three decades of experience as a special needs and general education teacher. She has created hundreds of themed units and lesson plans on everything from ancient Greece to biodiversity to personal finance to poetry. She holds a BS in psychology and a degree as Dr. Mom from the university of life. She writes about parenting for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Environmental Effects and Your Health

It has been decades that I've been promoting what just recently so many report as anti-cancer Superfoods.  The same goes for all the education I have done since the late 90s on EMF and cell phone-cordless phone-wifi impact.
As far as food goes, I encourage berries as a top food; the reason being the presence of proanthocyanidins (cyanide compounds from seeds).  Garlic of course is exceptional as we now know brassicas and fiber to be.

We now have a new high ORAC value berry compound in capsules or liquid

from Aronia (chokecherry), about 3 times more beneficial than blueberries.

The first and most important point is that most cancer is not born but made. By that I mean, that only one in ten cases of cancer comes about because you have inherited a defective gene by your mother or father.  Nine out of ten cases of breast cancer, colon cancer and even more for brain cancer arise because of something that happens to you after you’re born. Source

1) Tomatoes - Lycopene in tomatoes protects against cervical, ovarian and prostate cancers. Tomato products like sauce, paste and ketchup are even better sources due to their concentrations.
2) Berries - The vivid colors of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries come from antioxidants called anthocyanins, which fight a variety of cancers. Frozen berries are available year round-try them in smoothies or in cereal.
3) Spinach - One of the most nutritious leafy greens, the lutein and vitamin E in spinach fight liver, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancers.
5) Garlic - Italians and want-to-be Italians, rejoice! Garlic fights stomach, esophageal, and breast cancers. To get the most benefits, chop just before cooking.
6) Apples - This affordable, delicious, year-round fruit has plenty of antioxidants and vitamins, but it also boasts quercetin, a plant chemical, which may lower lung cancer risk and slow the growth of prostate cancer cells.
7) Pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes - As long as it's orange, take your pick! These sweet, fiber-rich vegetables are excellent sources of beta carotene, which may protect the DNA in your cells.
8) Beans - fiber source   Expanded list

Another Anti-Cancer Food

following article sourced from SciAM

Alpha-carotene from veggies linked to longer life

By Katherine Harmon  | Thursday, December 30, 2010

Need another reason to eat your greens (and yellows and oranges) as part of a healthful diet in the New Year? A large U.S. study has found that adults with higher concentrations of serum alpha-carotene in their blood were likely to live longer than those who had lower levels.

Research around carotenoids (phytochemicals that also include beta-carotene, lycopene and others) has yielded mixed results. Cheering of beta-carotene's purported disease-fighting abilities quieted down after years of studies failed to show that supplements reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease or type-2 diabetes (all diseases linked to free-radical damage, which antioxidants, such as carotenoids, are thought to help neutralize).

Nevertheless, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (which are often high in carotenoids) continue to be linked to a longer, healthier life, often regardless of other lifestyle factors. So researchers are now busy chasing down other components of these foods.

The recent alpha-carotene research is one such study. It assessed the blood levels of serum alpha-carotene in 15,318 U.S. adults and followed up over an average of 13.9 years to see which of the participants had died as of December 31, 2006.

After controlling for demographic, health and lifestyle factors, the researchers "found that serum alpha-carotene concentration was inversely associated with adjusted risk of death," according to their study, led by Chaoyang Li, of the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women tended to have slightly higher concentrations of the nutrient than men (5.31 microgram per deciliter versus 4.22).

The team found an especially strong correlation between higher alpha-carotene levels and lower risk of death from diabetes, upper respiratory tract and upper digestive tract cancers, as well as lower respiratory disease.

The findings are slated to be published next year in the March 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and are now available online. A handful of previous, smaller studies of alpha-carotene had mixed results, and the researchers cautioned that the levels of alpha-carotene, rather than having a direct affect on disease prevention themselves might instead "act as an indicator of multiple interactive forces."

Unlike beta-carotene, alpha-carotene is not often found in multivitamins or other common dietary supplements, which suggests that most of the quantities found in people's blood comes from food (primarily yellow-orange and dark green veggies, including broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes and winter squash). And a previous case-control study found that eating more of these sorts of alpha-carotene-rich veggies led to a decreased risk of lung cancer.

"These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death," the researchers noted. So go ahead and raise those carrots high.

Carrot recipes from Jaime Oliver

CARROTS BOILED WITH ORANGE, GARLIC AND HERBS
Boil the carrots in salted boiling water with a tablespoon of sugar, a knob of butter and a little handful of fragrant fresh herbs, tied up. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay – use just one or a mixture. Cut an orange into eighths and add them to the water, along with a few whole garlic cloves in their skins. If you really want to be a little tiger, add a pinch of cumin as well (seeds or ground) – it subtly cuts through with the most wonderful flavor. As soon as the carrots are cooked, drain them, discard the herbs and all but one of the orange pieces, squeeze the garlic out of its skin, chop the remaining orange piece finely and toss with the carrots, some seasoning and a little more butter. The flavor will be incredible. Another idea is to fry the chopped-up orange in a good tablespoon of sugar, so it almost jammifies, and serve this on top of the carrots. These two flavours together are one of the coolest things.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH ORANGE, GARLIC AND THYME
Or – just as easy – as soon as you drain the carrots you can throw them into a baking pan with the chopped-up orange and the garlic cloves and roast them at 400°F for 10 minutes – this will give you a slightly meatier flavor.

MASHED CARROTS
Or simply mash the carrots up with the orange and garlic, so you have some coarse and some smooth. Lovely.

Plan Now for Feb 2011: End Diabetes, The Longest Walk

Get UPDATES and More Information

Cordless Phones, like WIFI, Boost Heart Risk

Cordless Phone EMFs Trigger Heart Rhythm Abnormalities

By Erik Goldman / Editor in Chief - Vol. 11, No. 4. Winter, 2010

The controversy continues over the possibility that frequent exposure to electromagnetic fields from cell phones and other cordless devices increases the risk of brain tumors and cognitive dysfunction. That’s been hard to prove definitively, and many mainstream researchers dismiss the risk as alarmism.

But an international collaborative team of Canadian, US, and European researchers recently discovered something that may prove harder to dismiss: in some individuals, the 2.4 GHz pulsed signals emitted by a cordless phone system reliably produce measurable and clinically significant disruptions in cardiac rhythm.  Complete article

Devra Davis on C-Span

Selected articles from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: IGEF-expert won case against mobile ...

Sep 14, 2008

Studies at the University of Koblenz-Landau, reported in The Independent on Sunday last year, have found bees failed to return to their hives when digital cordless phones were placed in them, while an Austrian survey noted that ...

Maine to consider cell phone cancer warning

Dec 21, 2009

The report highlights a study that found significantly increased risk of brain tumors from 10 or more years of cell phone or cordless phone use. Also, the BioInitiative Working Group, an international group of scientists, ...

More on health risks of EMF

Feb 14, 2009

One of the most dangerous devices in use, in most homes is the DECT cordless phone. The dangerously high microwave radiation that these 'convenience items' expose families to, are likely to eventually kill and maim more Americans than ...

Cell phone-cancer link found

Feb 16, 2008

For your information, results from recent studies confirm that cell and cordless phone microwave can: * Damage nerves in the scalp * Cause blood cells to leak hemoglobin * Cause memory loss and mental confusion ...

The Importance of Accuracy in Health Reporting

Over the years I have been in the health professions I have noticed real change in the way health information is reported.  This applies to medical journals, TV and other broadcast media, newspapers, and other venues.

Now too we have now the on-line purveyors of what lay people turned health expert believe to be factual.

I think it has become pretty difficult to wade your way through all that is out there in the info universe to make some sense of it all for your health and that of those for whom you care.

Even though one site I favor is focused on mainstream health, I continue to learn more about the issues that have been important to me for decades from his sites: Integrity and truth in coverage.

Recently this was the focus of some very good information -

SHOULD YOU BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR READ ABOUT HEALTH CARE? 

Related articles:

U.S. Scientists Top Research-Fraud List

How indistinguishable...are the political figures and the journalists

Winter Weeds

With most plants dormant here now, it is easy to spot evergreen plants.  Evergreen plants are a welcome sight in winter, offering a tangible sign of life in an otherwise dead-looking landscape.  Unfortunately, some of the most noticeable evergreen plants are invasive non-native plants.  We can use our ability to spot these plants to our advantage, however.  Now is a good time to find these plants and remove them from your landscape and on restoration projects.

Tsuga canadensis - a native evergreen

 

Here are six of the most prevalent invasives that are evergreen.  They are all woody plants and can be removed in at least two different ways.  If they are young and small, try pulling them out now while the ground is relatively moist (wear gloves to ensure good traction and minimize any reaction – English ivy can cause a rash).  If they are too large to pull, you can cut them and carefully apply (consider using a foam paintbrush) a bit of brush killer on the stump.  At the very least, remove any berries on the plant and mark the plants with some bright string or flagging tape (available at home improvement stores) so that you can come back to remove them properly in the spring.  Bag up any berries and place them in the trash.

Ligustrum sinense

The first plant is probably the most invasive plant in our area – it has disturbed more acres than any other plant and has naturalized so widely that some folks think it IS native.  Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is known by many folks as “hedge” because it has been used for many years as a hedge plant. This plant has small leaves that are oppositely arranged on the stem and is considered to be a shrub or small tree. 

Chinese privet seedling

This plant is very adaptable and grows in both fairly dry areas and floodplains.  It spreads by berries (drupes) and by roots, often creating dense thickets.  The first few sets of true leaves on seedlings have a distinctly wavy look on the edges.  I usually find seedlings when I am bent over pulling out japanese honeysuckle.

Chinese privet thicket

Ligustrum japonicum

It’s cousin, Waxleaf ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum) is becoming more invasive thanks to increased usage in landscape designs and availability in nurseries.  It has larger, more glossy leaves and very similar fruit.  This picture was taken in a wooded roadside where the plant has naturalized.  Shade tolerance has allowed all forms of Ligustrum to invade woodland natural areas like state parks; these parks are now forced to spend resources on eradicating it and to host “privet pull” workdays (a great way to donate some community service, by the way).

Lonicera japonica

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) has been a favorite of homeowners for generations because of its sweet smelling flowers and ease of cultivation.  Who among us has not pulled apart the white and yellow flowers to taste the sweet nectar? This rampant vine is capable of smothering less aggressive plants, shading out anything that might grow beneath it.  This picture was taken two houses away from me – the vine has grown twenty feet up the young pine trees and the base of it is now as wide as my wrist.  Evergreen leaves and pale flakey bark are key identifiers in winter; you may also see small dark blue berries.  If you look carefully, the leaves are arranged opposite one another although they may appear to be in whorls.

English ivy infestation

Another old-fashioned favorite gone bonkers is 

English ivy (Hedera helix).  Once prized in many a 

garden in Atlanta, it can now be found high in the 

tops of large trees throughout old, established 

neighborhoods.  The good intentions of many folks 

to “keep it contained” are not always kept, especially 

when properties change hands.  

English ivy seedling

 

An interesting fact about this non-native vine is that it only becomes mature enough to flower and set fruit (blue berries) when it is allowed to climb.  When kept confined to the ground, it remains in a juvenile form.  However, even there it is an aggressive and thick vine, shading out all that would try to grow underneath.  Many people that eradicate it report having native plants like Trillium and other spring ephemerals spring up once it is removed.  Watch out for early signs of infestation when neighboring properties have it in their trees – new plants are easily eradicated when they are young.

Mahonia bealei

Mahonia is often mistaken for a mutant holly plant, but it is a member of the barberry family.  Mahonia bealei is the aggressive European species that invades our wooded areas.  There is a species that is native to the Pacific Northwest which has the common name of “Oregon grapeholly”. A stout and prickly shrub, it has thick, shiny leaves, yellow winter flowers and bright blue drupes in the spring.  Someone once commented that a particularly large specimen on the side of the road looked like a “prehistoric” plant.  It was rather scary looking.

Nandina seedling

 

Bright red clusters of winter berries have earned Nandina a special place in the designs of winter decorations … and in the forests of the southeast!  Nandina domestica, also known as Heavenly bamboo, is a shrub with compound evergreen leaves.  A very invasive plant in Florida and south Georgia, the increasing warmth of the northern part of the state has allowed this plant to become more invasive in the last decade.  I regularly spot it now on roadsides and ditches as well as wooded areas.  Learn to spot those seedlings early so that you can pull them out while the pulling is still easy!

Elaeagnus (thorny)

 

Elaeagnus has the disreputable nickname of “Ugly Agnes” thanks to its rambunctious and untidy growth habit.  With regular sheering it can be a solid and substantial hedge shrub, but too often it is allowed to do what it wants.  Long whips of new growth allow it to grow almost vine-like into adjacent shrubs and trees.  My neighbors inherited these unruly shrubs when they bought the house 3 years ago; the previous neighbor spent hours keeping them trimmed.  The unsuspecting and overworked new owners ignored the shrubs … until their rampant growth toppled a mature Yaupon holly into the street.  I showed the homeowner how to cut the Elaeagnus away from the Yaupon, allowing it to spring back into a vertical growth position.  You can recognize Elaeagnus by its glossy green leaves with silver-colored backs, the intensely fragrant flowers and the bright red berries.  Some forms, like this seedling in my other neighbor’s yard, have thorns as well.  You can find this shrub along many interstate roads where it was planted for years by the Department of Transportation.

 

Interested in identifying other invasives? This is a good website – detailed photos for identification and links to learn more about methods of control for invasive plants in the Eastern United States.  Plants are listed both by common name and by scientific name – use your browser’s “Find” function to search for what you’re looking for (but be aware that the common name be not be the same as what you know it as, so search by scientific name if possible).

By the way, the first picture in the blog is a young eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) growing in my yard.  We got snow on Christmas Day, and I took this picture then.  It’s not a weed!

Vacation and Merry Christmas

So I figured that most folks will be away or sleeping or in general not surfing the internet during the next week. So I have decided to take a little vacation. Plus I am working on a side project that I am anxious to share with you upon my return!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and I wish you many blessing in the coming year!

Spinach Madeline: The Best Holiday Side You'll Ever Eat

Spinach Madeline is an old recipe from one of those 1940's era Junior League Cookbooks that uses a can of soup as the first ingredient for virtually everything.

My father has just opened this email and he is now dying laughing.

I was born in New Orleans. My parents lived there for several years and I think they truly enjoyed the local culture, which even today has a uniquely regional feeling. New Orleans is unlike any place I can think of in the US. When I was there recently I felt that the natives celebrated their differences from standard American culture. For this I was especially happy!! While we place so much importance in our culture on indiviuality we are all, remarkably, the same.

Spinach Madeline was a recipe that my parents discovered while they were living in New Orleans. I was never sure exactly where they had it first, a friend's house, or if they had the cookbook and made it because it looked good. Perhaps my Dad will comment down below and solve the mystery. But today, this recipe has gone viral. We make the spinach for every holiday gathering. And most of the folks that have married into our family are now making the dish. My brother now makes it at every holiday with his family. I do as well. And some of my sister-in-law's do too. My grandmother on my mother's side always made it and some of my friends have too. It just isn't a Christmas without someone emailing me asking for this recipe. A few years ago, my Dad converted it to a word document, so now whenever anyone asks for the original recipe there it is all typed up and ready to attach!

The recipe can be found in a book called The River Road Recipes, which is filled with recipes for things that you'd never want to eat. In fact, the original recipe is filled with ingredients that you'd never want to eat like processed cheese and evaporated milk. Though when we were kids, my folks made it exactly the way the recipe called, roll cheese and all. As I have become an adult, I have altered the recipe to make it more "real food".

Here is the altered recipe-

Spinach Madeleine

2 pkgs. Frozen spinach
3/4 tsp. Celery seed
4 tbls. Butter
3/4 tsp. Granulated Garlic
2 tbls.Flour
salt to taste
2 tbls. Chopped onion
6 oz. Pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable liquor (from the cooked spinach)
red pepper (Cayenne) to taste
1/2 tsp. Black pepper

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquor. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings and cheese which has been cut into small pieces. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach. This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen. Serves 5-6.

Mrs. William G. Reymond
Adapted from River Road Recipes
(the first volume)

Mrs Reymond, you are probably not be alive today. But I can honestly say, you have contributed to countless holiday memories in my family and others. Seriously, try this recipe. If there is a dish that embodies a family gathering in my mind, it is this one!!

Merry Christmas Y'All!

Boys Now Targeted by Big Pharma's Vaccine Campaign

23 December, 2010:  Natural Health News first reported on boys and Gardasil in 2008.  Now FDA has gone ahead and approved this very risky vaccine for boys and men.
One MD says

Dec 23, 2010
According to this report, This FDA approval is NOT BASED on SCIENCE but on a VOTING PROCEDURE by the FDA Advisory Committee, which in turn is based on a BELIEF and not on the gold standard of DOUBLE BLIND PLACEBO CONTROLLED TRIAL. I am flabbergasted. Honestly, does the FDA Advisory Committee know what it is doing? How long was the randomized trial conducted and were the numbers and duration of the trial robust enough to come to this conclusion? Was the randomized trial conducted by an independent research team or was it industry funded? I cannot accept it and I will not recommend it.

from MEDPage Today

WASHINGTON -- The FDA has approved the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil for use in males and females ages 9 to 26 to prevent anal cancer.
The decision follows a recommendation from the FDA's advisory committee on vaccines, which voted last month that the vaccine -- already approved for preventing cervical and vaginal cancer in women and genital warts in both sexes -- is safe and effective for anal cancer prevention.
A randomized trial that included men who have sex with men, ages 16 to 26, was the main basis for the new approval. It found that Gardasil was 78% effective in preventing anal intraepithelial neoplasia related to the HPV-16 and HPV-18 viral serotypes.
Because the disease process of anal cancer is believed to be the same in females as in males, and because neoplasias usually develop during adulthood, the FDA did not require separate studies in females or in preteens.
The FDA emphasized that HPV vaccination would not prevent anal cancer in individuals already infected with the virus.
"Treatment for anal cancer is challenging; the use of Gardasil as a method of prevention is important as it may result in fewer diagnoses and the subsequent surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that individuals need to endure," according to Karen Midthun, MD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
Although anal cancer is uncommon in the general population, the incidence is increasing, the agency indicated.
About 90% of anal cancers are believed to stem from HPV infection. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 5,300 people are diagnosed with anal cancer each year in the U.S., affecting more women than men.

1/5/10: Today another "flash" was published in MSM about the enhanced efforts to push Gardasil on adults, especially women 19-49.  Don't you see this is more about drug sales and profits than health?

UPDATE: 1/4/10  If you have been following Gardasil vaccine issues on Natural Health News or in other places you know that this is a story we have been covering for about 5+ years.

Today HealthDay announced the new American Academy of Pediatrics 2010 vaccine guidelines; it includes Gardasil for boys and more swine flu shots.

At the same time this is announced, other medical news says that special diets for children with autism do not work.  I think this is mis-information, because if they are working in spite of mainstream medicine ignorance, there must be something to them.

And of course with more vaccination we can only know that we will continue to see more vaccine damage.

We do not consider Gardasil to be proven or safe.

Originally posted 6/08
If you have been following the thread of Gardasil articles here over the past year you probably won't be amazed by this newly announced campaign to bring Gardasil to your little boys.

From what I gleaned on the report I heard this morning there won't be a new vaccine created. Little boys will be jabbed with the same toxic vaccine as is marketed to girls from age 9 to 26.

I did not glean from the report that there have been any longterm studies on Gardasil for boys. Maybe it is just lagging sales that is behind this, along with FDA's denial for using Gardasil in women 27 to 45.

One reader of this blog commented today on the number of thyroid problems appearing in a group of young girls in their community. Sounds like an adverse effect that needs reporting.

Dr A Kalokerinos MD, Holder of the Australian Medal of Merit for 'outstanding scientific research', in an interview for the International Vaccination Newsletter of June 1995.

"Our society is littered with millions of children who were harmed in one way or another by vaccinations. Also, do not let us forget the millions of parents who had to watch helplessly as their children's lives were destroyed by devastating vaccination programmes."

Use the search window to see all our vaccine related posts...

Selected Gardasil posts -

Natural Health News: Gardasil death and danger update

Sep 28, 2009

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/merck-now-targeting-men-with-gardasil.html http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/natural-perspective-on-gardasil.html ...

Merck now targeting men with Gardasil, boys weren't enough

Nov 13, 2008

The Gardasil vaccine was 90 percent effective in preventing lesions, mostly sexually transmitted warts, caused by the virus in men, Anna Giuliano of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, and colleagues ...

What we warned about Gardasil is now filtering into the media

Apr 18, 2007

Both men and others told Dr. Haupt they supported the vaccine, but it was too early and counterproductive to push for school requirements. On Feb. 20, Merck announced that it was suspending its lobbying push, but Women in Government ...

Gardasil Reports not good - Death toll linked to vaccine rises

Jul 06, 2008

Since condoms are indisputably a safe, non-invasive, cost-effect method for protecting boys and girls / men and women against ALL sexually transmitted diseases -- Why are we exposing American girls and young women to a public health ...

It Takes Some People a Little Bit Longer...

Most of you that read my blog also read Fed Up With Lunch, a great blog about the deplorable condition of school food in the US. I look forward to reading Mrs. Q's posts every day, and because of her large following, I often find the comments to be highly entertaining. Mrs. Q, an anonymous teacher who has eaten school lunch every day in 2010, has a diverse following. It is clear that some of the commentors are gluten free folks, some are Michael Pollan devotees, some are Real Food people (or Practical Real Food People), some are political about food, and some just love food in general and hate to see it bastardized. And then there are others who I believe follow the blog because they find it interesting. School IS is hot topic these days after all.

This week Mrs. Q made a small, practically throw away, comment about the link between cancer and cupcakes earlier this week in a post about how certain PTA's had been banning bake sales. I don't mention it here to rehash it. I am anti-sugar, I believe that sugar is ruinous to one's health. And while my system was once happy to eat sugar, now even just a chocolate truffle or two is enough to disrupt my energy levels. I still eat sugar and sweet things now and again (more during these Holidays), but I am more conscious of it. And I am more choosy with what sugary treats I eat, and it has become easier for me to say no altogether.

Nope, I am not bringing it up because I want to discuss it further. I bring it up because some of the comments were downright astonishing! Many called Mrs. Q uninformed, and referred to the possibility of a link between cancer and sugar as "ludicrous" or "bullshit". I was disappointed by how many people vehemently defended sugar by saying that there was nothing wrong with ONE cupcake. I suppose I have been living in my nourished corner of the Internet for too long. I have forgotten that most of the population eats an average of 150 pounds of added sweeteners (according to USDA data from 1996), and that translates to roughly 40 teaspoons of sugar every day for every American out there. That is about 4/5 of a cup of added sugar from both sucrose and HFCS combined. That is a hell of alot of sugar. But also, most of the population isn't noticing that their health problems might be related to sugar.

Furthermore, I had a strange experience at my office last week. As we made our way to an outside office event that centered on the Holidays, someone overheard me make a teasing comment to my boss about how he should eat plain yogurt with no sugar, or worse aspartame, if he wanted the full effects of the yogurt's probiotics. After hearing me make said comment, several folks from my office teased me about how they loved aspartame and preservatives. And now every time they offer me some Christmas treat they jokingly tell me that it is organic. They are essentially making fun of me for eating healthy. Whaaaa? I mean, if you haven't met me, I am a bit of a know-it-all. I try hard not to have it come out, but it happens. But I also know that deep down inside, all the changes I have made in my life support me and my health and that might make others feel bad about themselves. People really do bully you because they feel bad about themselves. Mom was right all along.

When I looked for evidence about sugar suppressing your immune system I found alot of people debating it. Most of those who believed that sugar suppressed the immune system cited a 1973 study where they gave test subjects 100 grams of sugar to eat. After some time passed they drew blood from those patients and in a petrie dish they added bacteria to the blood. The white blood cells had a harder time fighting off the bacteria in test subjects who had ingested the sugar. Because this test happened in a lab as opposed to in a real live person, there are those that are skeptical. But Dr Sears, a popular pediatrician and web personality, still believes that there has to be some connection since his office fills up with sick kids just after Halloween. I also believe that there is some connection, because in the last 6 months I have ingested less sugar per day than I have at any other time in my life, and this fall I have had fewer colds, sick days, and I have felt better. It could also be the coconut oil, the grass fed meat and milk, or the greater amount of fat in my diet. Whatever it is, something is working.

Nutrition information is gray. And the results of scientific studies are often vague enough to allow for a variety of different conclusions. And particularly if you do not have evidence in front of you or something that is specific to you, it may be hard to believe something so radical as sugar's ability to negatively affect your health. Also don't forget that major cases showing the ill-effects of sugar on one's health are likely to be suppressed by those who have an interest in selling you sugar. (There were four different links in there in case anyone was interested). But since I have reduced my intake of sugar I have found that my system is far more sensitive to even a few teaspoons. About 30 minutes after eating something with refined sugar (probably more that three teaspoons) I start to feel tired and dragging. If I don't eat meat for a few days I don't feel that way when I go back to it. If I go a couple days without eating veggies (yes it does happen from time to time), when I eat veggies again I actually feel better!! So my reaction to sugar leads me to believe that it has profound affects on the body. You might be able to acclimate to it if you eat enough of it. But does that mean that the problems have disappeared? Or that you no longer notice them?

No, those that defend one cupcake might not have examined the amount of sugar in their own diets. They might not have realized that their 4 pm slump has to do with the soda they drank at lunch. Alot of times people don't realize how much they are affected by a certain food or drug until after they stop it. And even if one cupcake is fine, clearly many folks are eating one cupcake after having three sodas in a day. No individual food is so bad, it matters what kind of food-day in which it was eaten. But there is more attention being placed on soda as being a food to be vilified. Refined sugar is not needed in the diet. We can get all the glucose the body needs from other foods that have actual nutrients attached to them. And don't forget that that 40 teaspoons of sugar came from added sweeteners, not 100% juice, whole fruit, milk, or other foods that already contain naturally occurring sugars. Add in all those things and we are eating a whopping amount of sugar each day.

The body of evidence of fructose and sucrose's role in the rise of obesity is growing. And with more attention being placed on the need to eat more vegetables and nutrient dense foods, someday, those folks who angrily protested Mrs Q the other day will fall in line. We are now in a place where there is alot of doubt among the population about conventional nutritional wisdom, but not alot of studies done to test theories about sugar's effect on the body. And don't forget about an angry Sugar Lobby waiting in the wings to sue you if you publish any scientific data to the contrary.

I might not know exactly what it is about sugar that makes it bad for me. But I have enough bits of information plus my own experience. Our culture is one that relies on scientific studies in order to believe that something is true. But in the case of nutrition and nutritionism, I am not sure that we are ever going to get the study that we are looking for. In the mean time, I follow my gut. That is the closest thing to a traditonal food culture that I have at this point.