When a big, fat lie built around such a sensitive and health threatening issue becomes way too widespread, that even the authors start to believe it, it is really hard to turn the tide without major consequences.

We live in a time where we have GMO producers who won’t touch their food, but eat only organic instead, vaccine promoters and producers who won’t vaccinate their own kids or themselves, and of course, cholesterol lowering medication producers and promoters who won’t take their statins or give them to their family. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

So what kind of cholesterol “myths” has the population been fed all this time through heavy marketing? Let’s take a look!

Myth #1 : High LDL Causes Atherosclerosis and Heart Disease

An important factor in atherosclerosis and heart disease has been detected for oxidized LDL, but this form of LDL shows no correlation with serum levels of native LDL. Rather, individual antioxidant status appears to be a key factor influencing serum concentrations of oxidized LDL.

Where does oxidized cholesterol come from? It comes from artificial, partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), vegetable oils, genetically modified food, a diet high in refined sugars, alcohol and tobacco. Damaged cholesterol is found in powdered eggs, in powdered milk (added to reduced-fat milks to give them body) and in meats and fats that have been heated to high temperatures in frying and other high-temperature processes.

When there is a high level of oxidation present in the body, there also tends to be free radical activity in the tissues. Your body creates more cholesterol as a response to deal with inflammatory issues within the body. So cholesterol is not the problem, it is merely the solution your body is using to try and heal itself. Inflammation in the arterial walls is the real danger, and if left unchecked the swelling can eventually shut off blood flow to the heart or brain, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. In fact, the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol is probably the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

In the war against the “cholesterol demon”, the high levels of a substance called homocysteine are often forgotten. Homocysteine has been correlated with pathological build up of plaque in the arteries and the tendency to form clots which is a deadly combination. Nutrients that lower homocysteine levels are folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 and choline which are found mostly in animal foods.

So is high serum cholesterol useless? NO! It definitely indicates the presence of a metabolic imbalance, that there is much damage in the body that requires repair.

Then what are the real causes of heart attacks and strokes? They are:

• High triglycerides

• Low HDL cholesterol

• High homocysteine levels

• Dietary deficiency of saturated fats and cholesterol

• Overload of oxidized cholesterol containing foods

Myth #2: “Good” and “Bad” Cholesterol

The two most abundant lipoproteins in the body are the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The main function of LDL is to transport cholesterol from the liver to tissues that incorporate it into cell membranes. HDL carries “old” cholesterol that has been discarded by cells back to the liver for recycling or excretion. LDL and HDL are neither “good” or “bad”, they are just cholesterol.

The new fabricated theory which had to incorporate the “”good – bad cholesterol” paradigm states that:  LDL cholesterol forms “fatty deposits” in arterial walls, which become plaques that grow, rupture, and stimulate the formation of artery-blocking blood clots. HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is the “heart-friendly” lipoprotein that counters the action of LDL by removing cholesterol from the arteries and transporting it back to the liver for safe disposal. This paradigm is overly simplistic and not supported by the overwhelming scientific, historical and clinical evidence.

Myth #3: Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Rich Foods Are Bad and Raise Your “Bad” Cholesterol

Back in the 1960′s the average medical doctor totally ignored high cholesterol unless it exceeded 300!

Now, anything above 250 (or even lower than that) is considered a problem, and it is generally recommended that people should avoid eating too many eggs or too much meat because of the risk of heart disease from cholesterol intake.

You think that the medical profession suddenly had an epiphany, deciding cholesterol was dangerous? No! It was the processed food industry who started the big anti-cholesterol movement, lead in particular by the seed oil industry!! Archer Daniels Midland wanted to sell an ocean of soybean oil, and thus lead the charge against cholesterol in particular and saturated fat in general. Coconut and palm oils were banned from importation, butter consumption dramatically plummeted and everyone “knew” that margarine was going to save the nation!

Then, the Statin drugs were invented accompanied by a “paradigm shift” in the medical establishment and the war against cholesterol and saturated fat.

Although ignored by the “opinion leaders” in the medical field, studies which confirmed this fallacy continued to be published. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999; 281(15):1387-94) showed that there was absolutely no connection between eating eggs and the risk of heart disease or stroke in either men or women.

A study done by Gilman, et al and published in the December 24, 1997 Journal of the American Medical Association found that …

 

THE MORE SATURATED FAT YOU EAT, THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO SUFFER A STROKE.

This study actually was able to quantify the protective effect of saturated fats:

YOUR RISK OF STROKE DECREASES BY 15% FOR EVERY 3% INCREASE IN YOUR SATURATED FAT INTAKE.

William Castelli, M.D., a former director of the Framingham Heart Study (the one that originally supposedly implicated cholesterol as a problem in cardiovascular disease) notes that:

PEOPLE WITH LOW CHOLESTEROL (LOWER THAN 200) SUFFER NEARLY 40% OF ALL HEART ATTACKS.

An interesting study was done by Leddy, et al and published in 1997 in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Volume 29, where participants were elite male and female endurance athletes, placed alternately on a high fat diet and then a low fat diet. The results showed that the athletes on the low fat diet experienced a measurable decline in athletic performance. Most interesting, however, was the fact that the subjects on the low fat diet actually suffered a significant drop in HDL cholesterol, along with higher triglycerides (both of which are significant cardiovascular disease risk factors.)
Corn oil, soy oil, safflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or any of the rest of the vegetable oils (except olive, coconut oil, or palm oil) will accelerate the aging process in general, create catabolic damage throughout the body, and will specifically cause the oxidative damage in the blood vessel walls and in the heart that precipitates a cardiovascular crisis.

Myth #4: Statins Are Safe

The first real danger from statins is liver damage. Statin drugs work by blocking the enzyme HMG CoA reductase so that the liver can no longer synthesize its own cholesterol. They interfere with normal liver metabolism, inhibit the liver’s production of many substances essential for health, and damage the liver in the process.

That is why it is generally recommended that once beginning statin drugs, the patient should have his liver enzymes checked every six months.

Our liver produces 2000 milligrams of cholesterol every day. You think it’s trying to destroy us with cardiovascular disease? No. Cholesterol is an absolutely essential substance, with many critical functions in the body. We couldn’t survive without it.

The second danger from taking Statin drugs is musculoskeletal pain that can be severe, and is very frequently misdiagnosed. Since most doctors are not aware that this is a common side effect of the statins, people that suffer this side effect are often given diagnoses of tendinitis, tendinosis, tenosynovitis, tendinopothy, bursitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and so forth.

There are many cases reported in the literature of patients undergoing surgery for musculoskeletal pathologies that did not really exist. A number of statin patients have experienced kidney failure and even death; others have had such severe muscular pain and weakness that they are eventually unable to stand or breath on their own.

Statins deplete Co-Q10  levels in the body. Without Co-Q₁₀, the cell’s mitochondria are inhibited from producing energy, leading to muscle pain and weakness. The heart is especially susceptible because it uses so much energy.

Manufacturers of statin drugs have recognized the fact that statins depress the immune system, an effect that can lead to cancer and infectious disease, recommending statin use for inflammatory arthritis and as an immune suppressor for transplant patients.

Importance Of Cholesterol: A Summary

As perfectly summarized by Guy Schenker and Ronald Grisanti, it is ridiculously wrong to believe that cholesterol is a harmful substance which needs to be “destroyed”, if you think about the many vital, physiological functions it plays in the body:

• ™Your brain is made of cholesterol
• ™Your nerves are made of cholesterol
• ™Your body uses cholesterol to make all your important sex hormones and adrenal hormones
• Mother’s milk provides over 50% of its calories as fat, most of it saturated and provides the highest level of cholesterol than any other food!
• Without cholesterol to help your digestion, you couldn’t absorb any of your fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin E
• ™Every single cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane containing cholesterol, and without that cholesterol membrane, no cell in your body could function
• Cholesterol is so important that your liver produces 2000 milligrams of cholesterol every day
• ™When following a low cholesterol diet, your liver makes up the difference by producing more cholesterol just to be sure you have enough. (Then, statins, of course “lower it”…and pour more gasoline on the burning fire!)
• ™High cholesterol in the blood doesn’t come from eating foods high in cholesterol; it comes from a metabolism that is not efficient at handling the cholesterol you need.

Resources:

Colpo, Anthoni. LDL Cholesterol: “Bad” Cholesterol, or Bad Science?

Guy Schenker D.C. and Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., M.S. –  The Cholesterol Farce

Kendrick, Malcolm MD. – The Great Cholesterol Con

Lundell, Dwight, MD. The Cholesterol Lie Exposed

Taubes, Gary. The Soft Science of Dietary Fat

Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD. Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven’t Been Told About Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Medicines

Photo credit: howitworksdaily.co
m

Antibiotics: One of the most prescribed drug in the modern world! The evidence

that proves how harmful this practice can be has been available for a while now. Taking routine course of antibiotics and moreover pouring them into our food has been leading to serious and dangerous side effects, which greatly affect everybody’s health and well being. There are instances when antibiotics can save lives, so they have their place. But switching from specific, well determined and occasional use to a broad use and even worse, to a  ”preventive” measure, in humans and animals, is totally insane and looks like extermination.

Below you have strong evidence which confirms my statements:

Antibiotics As Prescription Drugs

People became so uncomfortable these days whenever they have a sniffle or infection. They all want it to go away, right away, at any cost! Immediate relief for a life of damaged health.

But common infection doesn’t equal antibiotics!  Our body simply doesn’t work like that.

The whole length of our digestive tract is coated with a bacterial layer providing a natural barrier against invaders, undigested food, toxins and parasites. If this “coating” (mucosal barrier) gets damaged, well….you get the picture! These beneficial bacteria protecting the gut wall also work against invasive pathogenic micro-organisms by producing antibiotic-like substances, anti-fungal volatiles, anti-viral substances. They engage the immune system to respond appropriately to invaders. Our healthy indigenous flora has a good ability to neutralise toxic substances from our food and environment, inactivate histamine and chelate heavy metals and other poisons. Again, this is all possible IF the “barrier” is intact…Without a well functioning gut flora, the gut wall not only becomes unprotected, but also malnourished.

The variety of functions and the essential role of an intact mucosal barrier, a healthy gut flora, make this the root of our health. We simply can not thrive without a healthy digestive system.

What is the clinical reality these days? A vast majority of people have a damaged gut flora and a major culprit to this is: ANTIBIOTICS!

Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride offers a well researched summary of the most common disastrous health effects which directly involve antibiotics :

• destroy beneficial bacteria in the human body, not only in the gut but in other organs and tissues
• they change bacteria, viruses and fungi from benign to pathogenic, giving them an ability to invade tissues and cause disease
• they make bacteria resistant to antibiotics, so the industry has to work on more and more powerful new antibiotics to attack these new changed bacteria. A good example is tuberculosis, where wide use of antibiotics has created new varieties of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis resistant to all existing antibiotics
• they have  a direct damaging effect on the immune system, making us more vulnerable to infections, which leads to a vicious cycle of more antibiotics and more infections

Since babies are born with a sterile gut flora, the mother esentially “downloads” her gut health / flora into the baby through breastfeeding. No wonder why digestive problems are usually shown to get worse with each generation, considering the mother’s poor gut health and bottle feeding.

Penicillins and other antibiotics with “-cillin” at the end of their name have a damaging effect on tow major groups of our resident bacteria: Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. This group of antibiotics allow bacteria normally found only in the bowel to travel to the intestines, which predisposes the person to development of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and other digestive disorders.

Tetracyclines and other “-cyclines” have a particular toxic effect on the gut wall by altering protein structure in the mucous membranes, making it vulnerable to invasion by pathogenic microbes and alerting the immune system to attack the changed proteins, starting an auto-immune reaction in the body against its own gut. They also stimulate the growth of pathogenic Candida, Staphylococci and Clostridia.

Aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin, Erythromicin) have a devastating effect on beneficial bacteria such as physiological E.coli and Enterococci. A prolonged course of treatment with these type of antibiotics can completely eliminate such beneficial bacteria from the digestive system, leaving it open to invasion by pathogenic species of E.coli and other microbes.

Antibiotics In Food

The problem of antibiotics overuse actually grew to proportions because it comes not only from prescription drugs, but from conventional food everywhere as well! This way, we are exposed indirectly to antibiotics since we are born and their negative effects are real.

Farm animals and poultry are routinely given antibiotics, so all the products made out of these (meat, milk, eggs) will also provide us with a constant supply of antibiotics AND antibiotic resistant bacteria, developed by the animals in their bodies, together with the toxins these bacteria produce.

Many large producers of meat and poultry feed antibiotics to their healthy food animals simply to offset the effects of overcrowding and poor sanitation, as well as to promote faster growth. Every year, nearly 30 million pounds of antibiotics are sold for use in food animals. In fact, up to 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States go to healthy food animals.

Farmed fish and shellfish have antibiotics added, as well as a lot of fruits, vegetables and grains, legumes and nuts, which are sprayed with antibiotics to control disease.

Anti-bacterial Cleaners

Germs do not cause disease! Nature never surrounded her children with enemies. It is the individual himself who makes disease possible in his own body because of poor living habits… Do mosquitoes make the water stagnant; or does stagnant water attract the mosquitoes? We should all be taught that germs are friends and scavengers attracted by disease, rather than enemies causing disease… As their internal environment is, so will be the attraction for any specific micro-organism… The germ theory and vaccination are kept going by commercialism. Dr. Robert R. Gross

Modern times brought along the common belief that everything has to be disinfected and sterilized. But it’s been proven by numerous studies that constant use of conventional sanitizers and antibacterial soaps is also killing the beneficial bacteria existent on our hands, that is meant to actually protect ourselves from disease. In other words, resistant bacteria – “superbugs” – will develop, and a former common cold will morph into a much more virulent and harder to treat infection.

Facts Of Antibiotic Overuse And Solutions To An Imminent Global Danger

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently announced the new CDC statistics on the advance of the highly drug-resistant bacteria known as CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae). The reports are frightening:

• Healthcare institutions in 42 states have now identified at least one case of CRE.
• The occurrence of this resistance in the overall family of bacteria has risen at least four-fold over 10 years.
• In the CDC’s surveillance networks, 4.6 percent of hospitals and 17.8 percent of long-term care facilities diagnosed this bug in the first half of 2012.

The U.K.’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies released a report in which she calls resistance a “catastrophic threat” which poses a national security risk as serious as terrorism. She warns that unless resistance is curbed, “We will find ourselves in a health system not dissimilar to the early 19th century” in which organ transplants, cancer chemotherapy, joint replacements and even minor surgeries become life-threatening.

In March 2012, researchers published a report drawing a link between bacteria on chicken and antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs). They compared E. coli samples from animals in processing plants to the strain of E. coli that causes urinary tract infections and found chicken to be the source of the bacteria. Last summer, the story gained major traction with the release of a related study by some of the same researchers who found that retail chickens had very high levels of antibiotic-resistant E. coli; about 85 percent of UTI infections came from this E. Coli strain.

Another published study from Germany concluded that methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is rarely found in pigs that are raised without antibiotics. Similarly, the farmers who live and work with these pigs were less likely to have the strain of MRSA commonly associated with livestock than farmers who worked with pigs who were regularly administered antibiotics. As one of the most notorious multidrug-resistant superbugs, MRSA is responsible for an estimated 19,000 deaths and 360,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States alone.

In September 2012, researchers at Stanford University concluded that consumers eating meat and poultry raised without antibiotics are 33 percent less likely to contract antibiotic-resistant infections than those who eat products raised conventionally.

Considering all this, how can YOU actively participate in the change of these serious events?

…STOP taking antibiotics with the first infection, rely on NATURAL, effective, safe and powerful antibiotics with NO side effects. My favorites are raw propolis, grapefruit seed extract, oregano oil, echinacea, Manuka honey. When you really need to take a course of antibiotics, always follow with a course of probiotics, to counteract the negative effects and maintain a healthy gut flora.

…buy and eat only ORGANIC meat, eggs and dairy or at least which hasn’t had antibiotics added (you can find this on many product labels now)

…stay clean using natural, green cleaners for your body and house, and avoid anti-bacterial soaps, as well as harsh, toxic chemicals. The Cleanwell sanitizers for example are absolutely fantastic and extremely effective, they come in many sizes, smell good and last a long time.

…live a healthy life, eat whole food and take responsibility of your own precious health, so you don’t end up in hospitals and long-term care facilities, which are the most exposed to never ending disease.

Resources:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/uk-cmo-report/

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/cre-cdc/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9921927/Antibiotics-are-ticking-time-bomb-warns-medical-chief.html

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/3/11-1099_article.htm

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2011.1078?journalCode=fpd&

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273000/

http://www.pewhealth.org/projects/pew-campaign-on-human-health-and-industrial-farming-85899367226

http://www.pewhealth.org/news-room/in-the-news/state-of-the-science-superbugs-and-public-health-85899422917

dr. Campbel McBride, Natasha. Gut And Physiology Syndrome

Photo credit: 
guardian.co.uk
pewhealth.org

So far, so good. Fermented vegetables are believed to be one of such healthy, gut healing foods, loaded with beneficial bacteria, enzymes and also very tasty! Kombucha lovers will swear on the beneficial effect of this frizzy, energizing drink! (although, I have to admit, when I first drank it, I could clearly feel the alcohol in it, which softened my knees instead of “energizing” them…).

Before I go into details and scientific data, I mention that I believe fermented foods do have their place and can be consumed in moderation by many people, who don’t experience too many health issues. But I couldn’t advice anyone to load on fermented foods on a daily basis. Here is why:

Aldehydes In Fermented Foods

Aldehydes are a type of organic chemical compound that are produced by some fermenting organisms. The human body possesses enzymes that convert it to a less-harmful substance and therefore is protected from small exposures. However, acetaldehyde at toxic levels can make its way into the brain from sources such as alcohol consumption, Candida (yeast) overgrowth, as well as breathing air contaminated with acetaldehyde from cigarette and other smoke, smog, vehicle and factory exhaust, synthetic fragrances and many commercially manufactured materials.

In foods, aldehydes are produced mainly by the action of yeasts, molds and fungi.  Aldehydes are not lethal toxins but they definitely affect the body and damage one’s health. Often levels are high in fermented foods such as kombucha tea, some pickles, wine and beer.

On hair mineral tests, the results of eating aldehydes will often be translated into an imbalanced sodium/potassium ratio. Acetaldehyde alters red blood cell structure. They decrease the ability of the protein tubulin to assemble into microtubules (long, thin, tube-like structures that serve several functions in the brain cell). Without the microtubules, the dendrites atrophy and die. This can be seen in chronic alcoholism and Alzheimer’s disease. Acetaldehyde induces a deficiency of vitamin B1, the “nerve vitamin”, critical to brain and nerve function. Addictive, opiate-like biochemicals are formed in the brain when acetaldehyde combines with the key neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin.

People with chemical sensitivities to aldehydes may also be sensitive to seemingly unrelated substances like sulfites (preservatives) from wines and foods, and the smell of chlorine from pools and bleach.

The under appreciated essential trace mineral molybdenum is also involved with acetaldehyde metabolism. A molybdenum deficiency not only affects this process but also other enzymes in the body that require molybdenum as a cofactor.

Aldehydes are very similar to heavy metals — we all have them in our bodies, due to modern high polluted environments we are living in. It is wise to try to minimize exposure through at least our consumption.

The least aldehydes are produced in foods such as miso, some good quality saurkraut, some cheese, yogurt and kefir. These appear to be safe, when eaten in moderation.

A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry stated that turmeric had protective and antioxidant properties in cucumber pickle products (not fermented products!) by inhibiting the formation of oxidative aldehydes. So it might be worth looking more into the effects of such herbs added to fermented foods and their protective role.

Candida Overgrowth And Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are high in lactic acid. Lactic acid results from anaerobic metabolism, the same metabolic process which allows yeast to promulgate. Pathogenic yeast thrive in an anaerobic environment. Some of the most important things people with candidiasis should eliminate are sugars and most foods that break down quickly into sugars and fermented foods.

Another important exposure route to toxic acetaldehyde levels is through its production by the opportunistic yeast, Candida albicans. Candida produces acetaldehyde in the GI tract by sugar fermentation. The typical American diet along with drug and antibiotic therapies, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), chronic stress, environmental toxins, etc. have altered gut integrity and immunity and predisposed millions of people to yeast overgrowth or the “Candida Syndrome.” A person with this condition who also drinks alcohol or loads up on fermented foods, not only produces acetaldehyde from the foods, but also delivers more sugar for yeast production of acetaldehyde, doubling the dose! Acetaldehyde produced in the gut can eventually reach more parts of the body, flooding the system and increasing the risk for damage.

Benefits Of Fermented Foods

Despite the above mentioned risks, properly prepared fermented foods are natural and healthy sources of beneficial probiotics and enzymes for your body, as well as other intact vitamins and minerals. The proliferation of lactobacili in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.

Fermentation of vegetables is an ancient traditional practice which can be found throughout the world. Tiberius always carried a barrel of sauerkraut with him during his long voyages to the Middle East because the Romans knew that the lactic acid in contained protected them from intestinal infections. So did Captain Cook, protecting his entire crew from scurvy, due to the sauerkraut’s high vitamin C content.

Being aware on both risks and benefits of fermented vegetables, the following question arises : will the aldehyde problem offset any benefits these foods produce? In my opinion, it all comes down again to one’s metabolic individuality and health concerns. One fermented veggie just doesn’t fit all!

Resources:

http://www.drlwilson.com/ARTICLES/FERMENTS.htm

http://www.drlwilson.com/ARTICLES/ALDEHYDES.htm

http://www.vrp.com/digestive-health/a-health-destroying-toxin-we-cant-avoid-and-must-detoxify

Fallon, Sally. Nourishing Traditions

http://pubs.acs.org/action/doSearch?action=search&searchText=aldehydes+turmeric&qsSearchArea=searchText

A simple remedy to cure infections used back in the days is really not enough anymore in modern times! Today we have to deal with “leaky gut” (intestinal impermeability), low levels of beneficial gut flora, antibiotic resistance, overgrowth of gastrointestinal pathogens and low immunity to disease, to name just a few of the conditions which make the process of healing so much more complex and chronic infections hard to eradicate.  This is the end result of the “modern living”, full of toxic, processed foods, heavy pollutants, genetically modified organisms and over medication.

So why exactly can’t we get rid of chronic infections after diligently following the recommended course of remedies? One important contributing factor is the BIOFILM formation.

What Are The Biofilms?

A biofilm is a thin layer of microorganisms that adhere to the surface of an organic or inorganic structure, together with their secreted polymers. Microbes residing within biofilms may consist of one or more species that communicate and collaborate with one another in a heterogeneous community. Biofilms are the predominant phenotype of nearly all bacteria in their natural habitat, whether pathogenic or environmental.

They always existed. And they also exist in your intestines, making pathogens harder to eradicate. How does this happen?

Life within a biofilm confers significant survival advantages to bacteria and yeasts. Biofilms strongly adhere to interfaces and resist dislodgement.
Biofilm-residing microorganisms are highly resistant to the spectrum of antimicrobials ranging from germicides and disinfectants to antibiotics and bacteriocins produced by probiotics, as well as to host immunity.

Biofilms have demonstrated the ability to persist in 100 to 1000 times the concentrations of antibiotics and biocides that can inhibit planktonic cells. Pretty hard to break down, don’t you think?

The diversity of the biofilm allows adaptation to overcome multiple stresses and to survive most sequential therapies.

Concomitant therapies that not only attempt to eradicate bacteria, but also affect the biofilm’s community structure and communications may prove more effective than a single or sequential strategy such as antibacterial or antifungal therapy.

Because of molecular methods, science now has the ability to detect biofilms and understand the implications of interspecies chaos that contribute to chronic infections. 

Some Of The Infections Related To Biofilms

It is estimated that up to 80% of all human infections have biofilm involvement. These infections range from urinary tract infections, middle-ear infections, cystic fibrosis, dental plaque, chronic skin infections, many chronic diseases, gastrointestinal infections and coatings on indwelling devices such as joint replacement, catheters, cardiac valves, and contact lenses.

Bacterial and fungal pathogens known to reside in biofilms include Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Helicobacter pylori, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Vibrio cholerae.

Gastrointestinal System

Among the more important species involved in gastrointestinal biofilm formation are Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Fusobacterium. Fusobacterium species appear to play a key role in formation and maintenance of healthy biofilm. However, Fusobacterium can contribute to pathogenic biofilms because it requires association with an aerobic species in certain environments and hence promotes Helicobacter pylori biofilm on the gastric mucosa associated with gastric ulcers. Disrupted healthful biofilm permits colonization and biofilm formation by potential pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans.

In candida overgrowth, the yeast colonies can dig deep into intestinal walls, damaging the bowel wall in their colonization. Candida colonization occurs within mucosal and skin biofilms where it is highly resistant to eradication. 

Teeth

Perhaps the most commonly encountered biofilm disease is dental plaque, and the Streptococcus mutans biofilm leading to cavities.

Typically dental biofilms consist of bacteria that are considered normal oral flora and usually are kept in balance by normal dental hygiene, the other cohabitating bacteria and a good nutrition for the teeth. However the population dynamics and members of these biofilms may change and induce conditions where tooth decay, gingivitis, and other oral health problems may arise. Where dental health is concerned, it is synonymous with biofilms.

Chronic Sinus and Inner Ear Infections

Symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (sinus infections) and otitis media (inner ear infections) may be due to a persistent biofilm-based infection that the body fails to fully eliminate. Continual aggravation by these infections may produce lasting, disrupting, and damaging effects.

How To Break Down Biofilms Residing In The Intestines?

Disruption of the healthy gastrointestinal biofilm facilitates an inflammatory response to normal microflora and compromises host defenses against a variety of pathogens. A nonpharmaceutical approach to biofilm eradication involves the use of specific enzymes and binding agents (such as the Interfase supplement by Klaire Labs), probiotics, gut healing supplements, concomitant  with antifungals, antiparasitic and/or antibacterial substances and a right customized diet, which supports all metabolic functions.

Resources:

http://endoexperience.com/userfiles/file/Biofilm_JAMA_Wolcott_and_Ehrlich_2008.pdf

Lewis K. Persister cells, dormancy and infectious disease. Nat Rev Microbiol.
2007;5(1):48-56

InterFase®: Specialized Enzymes Disrupt Biofilm Matrix
that Embeds Potential Gastrointestinal Pathogens. – Klaire Labs

http://www.frylabs.com/biofilm.php

https://www.protherainc.com/images/prod/brochures/K-INT_Brochure.pdf

https://www.protherainc.com/DisplayDoc.asp

Wolcott, William. CANDIDA  ALBICANS . . .Are You Winning Battles But Losing the War?

Stephen Olmstead, MD, Dennis Meiss, PhD, and Janet Ralston, BS.  Fungal-Type Dysbiosis & Chronic Disease Exploring The Nature of the Yeast Connection

Hybrid crops produce more food per acre, but this means that each stalk of wheat or corn or vegetables has much less zinc than in earlier times when hybrids were not used. Zinc and other trace elements are removed when wheat, rice, corn, sugar and even salt are refined.

Some foods, especially frozen vegetables and perhaps meats, are sprayed with EDTA to retain their color and this chemical removes some of the zinc and chromium from the food.

Most babies are born low in zinc.  This is because their mothers tends to be low in zinc, so the babies do not obtain enough in utero. Vegetarian or near vegetarian diets are much lower in zinc.  Stress depletes zinc very quickly, at times in minutes. An excess amount of calcium in your diet will also decrease absorption, as will weight loss, surgery, and alcohol.

Special times in life require more zinc.  This includes, childhood, puberty, pregnancy, breast feeding, and old age.  Any stressful situation, during infections, and the presence of chronic illness will also require more zinc in the diet. For example, diabetics need much more zinc.  Also, low zinc in boys around the age of puberty is one reason they do not grow tall as fast as the girls at that age. Later, the boys catch up, but the boys are using their inadequate zinc to develop the prostate gland and testicles, and there is insufficient zinc to enable them to grow taller at that age, in many cases.  This is so common it is considered normal today. (Lawrence Wilson, MD)

 Why And Where Is ZINC Needed?

Zinc is required for hundreds of enzymes that control functions as diverse as one’s eyesight, hearing, health of the skin, hair, nails, connective tissue, sexual function, digestion, immune response, vision and more. Zinc is necessary for optimal growth and development in children, is needed to release vitamin A from the liver, for metabolism of fats, carbs, proteins, for the body’s own primary antioxidant ( “SOD” – super oxide dismutase enzyme), to heal wounds, eradicate infections and it is also important for synthesis of DNA and RNA. It is also required to rebuild the fast-growing intestinal tissue, and for the production of bile, and liver and pancreatic secretions.

The retina of the eye is one of the richest tissues in zinc in the human body and one of the tissues most dependent on zinc, along with the male prostate gland and the intestines. Zinc is also thought to be a calming neurotransmitter in its own right. It is required for higher mental functioning and for mental development of the neocortex or new brain.

Symptoms of zinc problems include hyperactivity, ADHD, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, emotional instability, mood swings, bipolar disorder and many other mental and emotional symptoms. Zinc and copper are maintained in a delicate balance.  Many menstrual irregularities such as PMS are related to imbalances in this area.

How Do We Boost Absorption of ZINC?

Only about 30% of the zinc that we get from food and supplements is absorbed. Common contributing factors are malabsorption problems, inefficient digestion and low levels of enzymes (which are zinc-dependent, by the way).

Zinc found in animal foods is better absorbed than the one from plant sources. Some of the foods high in zinc are red meat, oysters, crab, liver, chicken hearts and raw cheese, so it is wise to incorporate these into your diet.

Soaking and sprouting grains and nuts is so important, since this reduces the phytic acid content, which interferes with mineral absorption, including zinc.

Oxalates found in deep green leafy veggies and soybeans decreases zinc absorption as well. Moderation is the key for the green leafy veggies and as far as soybeans it’s best to avoid them completely, in my opinion.

Zinc And Copper Toxicity

Zinc and copper are antagonists. While zinc toxicity is possible, far more common is zinc deficiency and copper toxicity. Whenever zinc becomes deficient, copper tends to accumulate. Copper is an essential trace element serving many important functions as well. However, copper is well documented to induce several toxic effects in the body, when elevated. Because copper is a pro-oxidant, when free and unbound, it can quickly generate free radicals.

Problems associated with copper toxicity include: miscarriages, infertility, estrogen dominance, anemia, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorder, arthritis, chronic fatigue, migraines, liver toxicity, thyroid conditions, chronic candida yeast infections, PMS.

The major sources for copper toxicity are: exposure to industrial forms of copper such as copper pipes, copper cookware, birth control, exposure to copper-based fungicides, other mineral deficiencies (manganese, iron, selenium, chromium), and vitamin deficiencies (B-vitamins and vitamin C). Diets high in copper and low in zinc may play a role in copper toxicity as well, as do adrenal weakness and liver toxicity.

Detecting Zinc Related Problems With Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

There are several ways to assess zinc status in the body.  Serum blood tests are useless, in general, as zinc does not accumulate in the blood serum. White blood cell zinc levels to assess total body zinc is also not too reliable. Assessing zinc using analysis of urine and feces are not considered reliable either, because they depend too much on the last day’s meals and other factors such as absorption of dietary zinc.

Dr. Paul Eck, a brilliant biochemist, found that the sodium/potassium ratio on a properly performed hair mineral analysis is the best way to assess the need for zinc.

The Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is a very easy, accurate and quite inexpensive way to determine if you are or not zinc deficient, cooper toxic and if you accumulate heavy metals in your body.

Why is detection of heavy metals important? Heavy metals accumulate in vital tissues (brain, bone, liver, etc), disrupt organ function, displace nutritional minerals from sites of biological activity, disrupt enzymatic activity and create biochemical imbalance.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis requires specialized, extensive training for interpretation of results. Strange as it may seem, the right protocol often doesn’t include direct administration of the mineral with a low level. Rather, another mineral, whose known effect is to elevate that mineral is given. There are even instances when administering a mineral already known to be low, will result of further lowering of that mineral.

For example, an important property of zinc is that it lowers sodium levels. So, if zinc and sodium are both low, particularly if there is a sodium/ potassium inversion and if zinc is given with the expectation of raising zinc levels, the body may actually lower zinc levels further, to allow sodium to elevate back to a normal range.  This is because the sodium / potassium ratio is so critical to homeostasis. The body will try to correct that imbalance before it addresses the zinc deficiency.

Such particularities can only be detected through a real interpretation of the hair tissue mineral analysis and by knowing the Metabolic Type of the person, in order to determine the best supplementation protocol and diet.

Sources:

http://drlwilson.com/Articles/ZINC.htm

http://drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm

http://www.metabolichealing.com/michael-s-blog/zinc-and-copper-imbalances-immense-biochemical-implications/

The Healthexcel System Of Metabolic Typing

Children didn’t break bones as easily back in the days as they do today. The elderly weren’t as susceptible to falls and hard to heal bone fractures either. As with everything in our health and nutrition, over time, the skeletal system had to suffer too, and was forced to adapt and deal with whatever was available to draw nutrients from…Not much I’m afraid these days.

The general consensus (promoted by the conventional medical community) is to load on calcium early on, since this is the most important element to consider if you want strong bones.

Well, many people developed osteoporosis while heavily supplementing with calcium!

What Do Bones Really Need To Stay Strong?

As per the Metabolic Typing approach, the answer will be different biochemically speaking for different people, different metabolic types and different imbalances.

But as a general rule, bone fractures are related to calcium metabolism inefficiency, specifically as pertains to mineral balance and pH. Good calcium metabolism requires: sufficient calcium levels, sufficient calcium metabolism synergistic factors (primarily magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C , E and B6), sufficient sympathetic strength/tone and sufficient pH acidity (an over-alkaline pH will cause calcium to precipitate out of solution and be deposited.)

So good calcium metabolism requires sufficient levels of calcium, but beyond the quantitative presence of calcium, the availability of  synergistic factors must also be present for proper qualitative calcium utilization.

Any one or all of the above factors can be involved. The proper Metabolic Typing interpretation of a hair tissue mineral analysis can be useful in targeting the causal factors.

Different Causes For Calcium Deficiency, Different Metabolisms, Different Treatments

Interpreting a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) has to be done only by skilled, certified, trained practitioners, who studied the works of the experts in this field and have accumulated clinical experience themselves.

Below you can see a sample of such a HTMA lab testing. The interpretation is based on reading the ratios between minerals, heavy metals and determining where actual deficiencies are present: inside or outside the cell.

In the below sample, the high calcium level doesn’t mean the person has enough Calcium in her body, on the contrary. In this case (by interpreting the specific ratios between minerals, and also considering the metabolic type of the person), the HTMA result reveals a Qualitative Insufficiency of Calcium. The person has enough calcium in her body, but it can not enter the cell, due to inefficient utilization of this mineral. As you can observe, heavy metals which displace good minerals in the body are also a big contributor in this case. So calcium is actually high OUTSIDE the cell. This is an information that blood and urine testings can’t possible determine. In this case, supplemental calcium and elimination of heavy metals will restore normal levels in the body.

But in a different metabolic type, a high calcium shown by a HTMA determines a Quantitative Insufficiency of Calcium, meaning the person has high calcium levels INSIDE the cells AND outside the cells. For this person, a protocol high on Potassium and low on Calcium would correct the imbalance.

 Other Aspects To Consider When Dealing With Bone Fractures And Calcium Deficiency

• It all starts with eating the right diet for your metabolism AND taking the right supplements for your metabolic type. This will ensure a proper autonomic nervous system balance, cellular energy production, calcium metabolism efficiency, bone metabolism efficiency, and pH balance. The wrong diet will inhibit repair and healing.

• Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is essential to address any heavy metals and to fine tune mineral balances in relation to your metabolic type and calcium metabolism. Heavy metals will displace minerals, including calcium and disrupt calcium and bone metabolism.

• Balance your hormones naturally, efficiently and safely using Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. Addressing estrogen vs. progesterone imbalances are critical in bone growth.

• With acute pains due to bone fractures consider homeopathy. Symphytum (Comfrey/Boneset) can be of a great help; consult with a knowledgeable homeopath about the best homeopathic treatments for you.

• When having a bone fracture, using a strong tea made from 1 part Comfrey and 1 part Horsetail, drunk several times per day, has shown to improve the condition and speed up healing for many people.

• Consume daily about 12 oz of home made bone broth soup: rich in glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and other glycosaminoglycans, all of which are highly desired for repair of tendons, ligaments and connective tissues.

• VitaminK₂ has a definite role in bone health. There are at least two vitamin K-dependent proteins that fulfill important functions in skeletal metabolism: matrix Gla protein (MGP) and osteocalcin.  Researchers from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands showed that over the course of 40 days, vitamin K₂ was three times more effective than vitamin K₁ at raising the percentage of activated osteocalcin. Large amounts of vitamin K₂ are readily absorbed from animal foods like meats, poultry, chicken liver, hard cheeses, eggs and butter.

Remember that bone fractures are actually not the problem! The problem lies in a multitude of imbalances, which need to be corrected in order to achieve the right balance on a biochemical level. When that is achieved, the nutrients and minerals involved will keep your bones strong and free from fractures.

Resources:

The Healthexcel System of Metabolic Typing

On the Trail of the Elusive X-Factor: A Sixty-Two-Year-Old Mystery Finally Solved

Why in the world would anyone take ANTIACIDS when dealing with LOW STOMACH ACID (hydrochloric acid)?

The answer can leave us all perplexed, as does the question. Because the drug companies and the conventional medicine brainwashed the population into believing that  this is yet another “symptom” which needs to be covered up by  drugs.

Encouraged by the legal drug industry, medical doctors are not taught that hypochlorhydria (inadequate stomach acid production) is treatable only with unpatentable natural replacement therapies. Instead, their education concentrates on hyperchlorhydria (excess stomach acid production) and its treatment with patentable “acid blocker” drugs and highly profitable over-the-counter antacids like Prilosec, Zantac and Pepcid.

What Is Hydrochloric Acid’s (HCL) Function In The Body And Why It Is Essential For Health?

HCL has three primary functions:

1) sterilize what is eaten, and kill acid sensitive bacteria, viruses, yeast, mold and fungi, and parasites;

2) digest proteins (in conjunction with pepsin) so it can be assimilated more easily by the intestines;

3) trigger the pyloric sphincter to open and the esophageal sphincter to stay closed, allowing the predigested contents of the stomach to enter the small intestine for further processing and preventing reflux into the esophagus.

As you see, stomach acid serves many important functions, not only in digestion, but also in keeping the body free from disease. Many bacteria enter the body with food. Some of them are not friendly to human life. In a normal stomach, these bacteria are doused with acid and die. In a person with hypochlorhydria, these bacteria are escorted into the small intestine along with a generous food supply. It has been shown that people with hypochlorhydria have more than their share of infections. The ever present yeast organism makes its entrance via the mouth. Many people with the so-called “yeast syndrome” are unable to get rid of their yeast because the organism continues to reinfect the body through the mouth.

Another important function of hydrochloric acid is the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme and bile release into the small intestine. Without enough pancreatic enzymes and bile, the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins A and E, is severely compromised, inadvertently causing undernutrition even with an excellent diet.

What Happens When You Have Low Stomach Acid?

After 30, 40 or more years of digesting or attempting to digest everything we put in our stomachs – not just food, which the stomach is designed to handle, but also refined sugar, caffeine, distilled alcohol, grease and oxidized oils, fluoride and chlorine from water, chemical flavorings and colorings, pesticides, herbicides – you get the idea, no? – why would anyone except an antacid salesman or the average gastroenterologist imagine that our stomachs would make more acid, more pepsin, and digest things more efficiently as we get older? Common sense says that after 30 or 40 years, the stomach slows down, just like the rest of us, and makes less acid, less pepsin, and digests things less efficiently. Dr Jonathan Wright

Inadequate hydrochloric acid (HCL) can cause an entire cascade of problems, and as a result, can undermine virtually every process of metabolism, from tissue regeneration to immune function, to neurotransmitter balance, and much more. Inadequate HCL contributes to the root cause of many (if not most) human health problems.

The following conditions have been linked to hypochlorhydria:

· Acne rosacea
· Adrenal insufficiency
· Allergies
· Anemia
· Arthritis
· Asthma
· Autoimmune Diseases
· Celiac Disease
· Chronic fatigue
· Chronic hepatitis
· Diabetes mellitus
· Dry skin
· Gallbladder disease
· GERD – misdiagnosed acid reflux, but really hypochlorhydria
· Hypoglycemia
· Infections increased – parasitic, yeast,bacterial
· Lupus erythematosis
· Nail weaknesses
· Osteoporosis
· Poor night vision
· Psoriasis
· Rheumatic arthritis
· Stomach cancer risk increased
· Thyroid disorders
· Vitiligo

How Do You Know If You Have Low Stomach Acid (Hypochlorhydria)? Symptoms And Testing.

Symptoms of hypochlorhydria are similar to those of hyperchlorhydria. Burping, belching, bloating, “heartburn,” gas, sour stomach, undigested food in stool, a voracious appetite (due to cellular “starvation”), food sitting in stomach too long, slow digestion, inability to eat a large meal due to feeling full quickly, constipation, and diarrhea can all be due to insufficient HCL production. Thus, many of those who have too little HCL production are treated with antiacids, as though they have too much!

In the late 1960s, the Heidelberg test was developed to test for low stomach acid. This device  involves swallowing a capsule about the size of a vitamin pill that can measure the stomach acid content. The only problems with this test are that it is hard to find, expensive, and time consuming. But it provides absolutely accurate and inarguable results.

The “hydrochloric acid challenge” commonly used by many practitioners is completely misguided and simply cannot assess HCL production status. In this test the patient takes increasing amounts of Betaine Hydrochloride with successive meals. If burning occurs at a higher dose it is thought that it is due to low levels of HCL production in the stomach.

Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD has done a good deal of clinical work with HCL and has stated that a normal healthy stomach will produce the equivalent hydrochloric acid of approximately 32 HCL capsules during a meal. This means a patient with normal HCL production should be able to take 32 HCL capsules on an empty stomach without experiencing a burning sensation.

So what causes the burning sensation that usually occurs during the HCL challenge test? It is clearly not the quantity of HCL until one gets to about 32 capsules.

The burning sensation happens because the stomach lining becomes irritated by the acid. This means only one thing – the mucosal barrier that normally protects the stomach lining is insufficient and is allowing the HCL to begin digesting the protein of which the stomach lining consists.

So, the HCL challenge test is actually only testing the mucosal barrier integrity, which is of course very valuable information.

The most typical cause of a damaged mucosal barrier is a chronically elevated cortisol level, or an infection of the GI tract and stomach (often by Helicobacter pylori). A poor mucosal barrier is actually typically the result of poor HCL production.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis can be used to assess digestive capability and find out valuable  information involving HCl production. However, an accurate interpretation can be obtained only from a properly trained practitioner, who is interpreting the results in an integrative, functional way, based on metabolic individuality.

Is Supplementing With Betaine HCL A Good Idea?

Supplementation is many times needed, but one must first improve mucosal barrier integrity before implementing HCL supplementation, or damage to the stomach can easily occur. The comprehensive Metabolic Typing Program along with the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Program can efficiently ensure the elimination of “blocking factors” which damaged the mucosa in the first place, as well as proper supplementation and diet for repair.

By eating the right foods for your metabolic type AND by assuring efficient digestion and absorption of those nutrients, the stomach’s inherent ability to produce sufficient HCL can be restored (along with all other metabolic functions). Degenerative processes can be reversed into regenerative processes. Ingesting, digesting, absorbing, and utilizing foods right for your metabolic type will balance body chemistry, rebuild organs and glands, and maximize metabolic efficiency over time.

Resources:

Vaughan, David, CN. Assessing and treating digestive function

The Healthexcel System Of Metabolic Typing®

http://tahomaclinicblog.com/the-digestive-theory-of-aging/

http://www.metabolichealing.com/key-integrated-functions-of-your-body/gut/the-hcl-challenge-why-the-conventional-test-is-dead-wrong/

http://www.metabolichealing.com/key-integrated-functions-of-your-body/gut/your-digestive-fire-the-vital-role-of-stomach-acid/

Photo credit: synergy-pt.com

The length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increased use of food enzymes promotes a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential. ( The Enzyme Nutrition Axiom formulated by dr Edward Howell)

What is really happening? People started to wake up to the reality that much has to do with our lifestyle and dietary choices. But it’s also another, less talked about aspect: environmental exposure to chemicals. And this affects us all to some degree.

Since the end of World War II, some 100,000 synthetic chemicals, polutants (waste products), and toxicants (such as pesticides and herbicides) have been released into our air, water, or soil. Of the 1000 or more different substances manufactured and released into the environment each year, most are not tested for safety.

Depending on where you live, either some or many of these compounds are in the food you eat, the water you drink, and the air you breathe. These chemicals have the power to disrupt the endocrine system, leading to harmful health effects. They are “endocrine disruptors”.

So it is clear that no human has been born since the middle of the 20th century without some exposure, in the womb, to hormonally-active synthetic compounds. This is a reality which we shouldn’t deny, but rather gather information on how to cope with.

How Do Xenoestrogens Affect Our Health?

Today, the list of hormonally active compounds is longer than anyone had previously imagined in the early days of the research. Not only are more compounds involved, but more hormone systems are now known to be vulnerable. And within each hormonal system, new mechanisms of interaction between compounds and receptor systems are being explored to understand how a compound exerts its effects.

Originally framed only as “estrogen mimicry” or “estrogens in the environment,” research has expanded to include many other hormone systems: estrogen blocking as well as mimickry, androgen blocking, concern for interference with thyroid hormones and progesterone.

Estrogen mimickers in the form of chemicals (xenoestrogens) mimic the action of estrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity. It should be of particular interest for anyone dealing with an estrogen dominance already (very common for many women these days) and related conditions such as uterine fibroid tumors, fibrocystic breasts, breast cancer, glandular dysfunction, male infertility, endometriosis, hair loss, weight gain, and depression, to name just a few.

Estrogen dominance from these environmental hormone disrupters are causing an imbalance of female hormones, creating a host of estrogen dominance symptoms.

Girls and boys are reaching puberty too early as a result of these disrupters.  Additionally, xenoestrogens produce hormonal stimuli that contributes to inappropriate growth of mammary tissue cells, resulting in a problem society is calling “man boobs.”

Hormones – most of which are created in various glands such as the thyroid- act in the body like messengers, to transfer information from glands to receptor sites in cells. When hormones circulate in our blood, they are seeking the right site on our cells to plug into so that their message can be both send and received by our cells and body.  When the connection is made, estrogens and other hormones are meant to start and stop a wide range of physiological functions. Hormones are not selective. So instead of “partnering” with their meant-to-be-hormone, they also accept a wide variety of synthetic hormone-like strangers into their receptor sites, blocking the message of the naturally occuring hormone. In addition, because these synthetic hormones are constantly present, they may attach at the wrong time and disrupt the precise timing of the developmental order.

In her book Hormone Deception, Lindsey Berkson identifies at least five different responses that can occur when “inappropriate orders” are given by synthetic hormones:

•  mimic the natural hormones in our bodies, such as estrogens
• antagonize (block) our natural hormones, such as androgens (male hormones), thyroid hormone, and progesterone
• alter the way in which natural hormones are produced, eliminated or metabolized
• modify the number of hormone receptors we have and thus the amount of hormonal signaling in our bodies
• stimulate the release of hormones or other natural substances that affect the balance of our hormones in our bodies

Where Can Endocrine Disrupting Xenoestrogens Be Found?

The most common endocrine disruptors are:

Atrazine - is widely used as an herbicide to control broad-leaf weed species that grow in crops such as corn, sugarcane, hay and winter wheat. Atrazine is also applied to Christmas trees, residential lawns, golf courses, and other recreational areas. Atrazine is the second largest selling pesticide in the world and estimated to be the most heavily used herbicide in the United States.

BPA – used as a lining in most food and beverage cans. BPA global capacity is in excess of 6.4 billion lbs per year and thus is one of the highest-volume chemicals produced worldwide. Leaching of BPA has led to widespread human exposure.

Butylated hydroxyanisole, BHA  is used as a food preservative.

Bisphenol A  is monomer for polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin; antioxidant in plasticizers.

Dioxin is a group of highly toxic chemicals are released during combustion processes, pesticide manufacturing and chlorine bleaching of wood pulp. Dioxin is discharged into waterways from pulp and paper mills.

Erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3 used in a wide range of processed foods and medications.

Ethinylestradiol (combined oral contraceptive pill) is released into the environment as a xenoestrogen.

Endosulfan is an insecticide used on numerous vegetables, fruits, cereal grains and trees. Human exposure occurs through food consumption or ground and surface water contamination.

Nonylphenol and derivatives are used as industrial surfactants, emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization, laboratory detergents, pesticides.

PBB are chemicals added to plastics used in computer monitors, televisions, textiles and plastics foams to make them more difficult to burn. Manufacturing of PBBs in the United States stopped in 1976, however because they do not degrade easily PBBs continue to be found in soil, water and air.

PCBs are man made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were manufactured primarily for use as insulating fluids and coolants given their chemical stability, low flammability and electrical insulating properties. PCBs were banned in 1979 but like DDT continue to persist in the environment.

Phthalates are plasticizers providing durability and flexibility to plastics such as polyvinyl chloride. High molecular weight phthalates are used in flooring, wall coverings and medical device such as intravenous bags and tubing. Low molecular weight phthalates are found in perfumes, lotions, cosmetics, varnishes, lacquers and coatings including timed releases in pharmaceuticals.

Parabens are used in a huge variety of cosmetics, and personal care products.

Propyl gallate is used to protect oils and fats in products from oxidation.

4-hexyl resorcinol is used to prevent shrimp, lobsters, and other shellfish from discoloring.

4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC)  is used in sunscreen lotions.

A Few Important Ways To Reduce Xenoestrogens In Your Life

Environment and house

• Organ chlorines, are one of the largest sources. They are found in pesticides, dry cleaning, bleaching of feminine-hygiene products and the manufacture of plastics. Choose organic feminine hygiene products and avoid the rest.
• Avoid plastic goods - they leach into the environment and will eventually come right back to your plate.
• Avoid new carpet – it can give off noxious fumes.
• Be aware of noxious gas such as that from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, etc.
• Do not inhale and protect your skin from: electrical oils, lubricants, adhesive paints, lacquers, solvents, oils, paints, fuel, industrial wastes, packing materials, harsh cleaning products, fertilizers.

• Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides on produce. Wash the fruits and vegetables in a solution of one part vinegar and 3 parts water before consuming, to rid the pesticides.
• Have a good water filterfor your source of water. Reverse osmosis is the best option. Do not leave plastic containers, especially your drinking water, in the sun. If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away – do not drink the water either.
• Use only organic based whole foods. Buy organic, pastured, hormone free, antibiotic free meats and dairy products, ideally from small, sustainable farmers.
• Propyl gallate, the preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling can be found in a range of foods including baked goods, shortening, dried meats, candy, fresh pork sausage, mayonnaise and dried milk.
• Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for microwaving.
• Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food.

• The birth control pill contains high concentration of synthetic estrogen. Choose a condom or diaphragm gels without surfactants. Use a condom without spermicidal.
• Don’t use hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
• Avoid X-rays as much as possible.

• Don’t use fabric softeners as it puts petrochemicals right on your skin.
• Use a simple laundry and dish detergent with less chemicals.
• Buy non-toxic house cleaners like Seventh Generation or make your own, using basic and effective ingredients like vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and borax.
• Use organic soaps and toothpastes. Avoid fluoride.
• Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride. Switch to more natural and simple products. Cheap brands usually have more toxic ingredients. To check the level of toxicity for your cosmetics you can go to http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. Better yet, you can make your own, non-toxic (even edible!) personal care products, using essential oils, organic oils and other basic ingredients. The simpler, the better!
• Avoid regular nail polish and nail polish removers. At health food stores and online you can find non-toxic alternatives for these.
• Use only naturally based perfumes, like Pacifica. Most perfumes are petrochemically based.

Address Your Hormonal Imbalances Naturally

Hormones affect metabolic processes and have many, very powerful effects and will result in change in metabolism, mood, weight, fluid balance, to name just a few. The adrenals and the steroidal hormone balance are involved in regulating virtually every aspect of body function!

The Adrenal Cortex, for example, is responsible for producing over 50 different types of hormones. Simply put: As goes the health and functional efficiency of the adrenals, so goes the health and functional efficiency of every aspect of metabolism in the body.

The biggest insult for our bodies when we want to balance our  hormones is to choose hormone replacement therapy. This contains synthetic estrogens, which have been clearly associated with a significant increase in breast cancer. Moreover, this allopathic and dangerous approach doesn’t even come close to address the real cause of hormonal imbalances.

A holistic, integrative and functional approach that is meant to give your body all necessary nutrients in order to start producing hormones as needed and maintain optimal levels is offered by the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Advisors. They are highly trained to address your hormonal imbalances in a very effective, non-invasive and safe way.

And the best rule of all: LIVE A SIMPLE, “GREEN” LIFE AND STICK WITH QUALITY AND LESS QUANTITY IN EVERYTHING! Read labels and make your own whenever you can. This should offer a great deal of improvement in your quality of life!

Resources:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/newscience/ubiquitous/ubiquitous.htm

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/estrogenic-food-additives

Berkson, Lindsey. Hormone Deception

Gray Graham, Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz.  Pottenger’s Prophecy-How Food Resets Genes For Wellness Or Illness

T. Colborn, D. Dumanoski, and J. Peterson, Our stolen future. New York: Penguin, 1997

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenoestrogen

Photo credit: dr-kristi.com

On my phone interview with Dr. Alexander Mostovoy from Thermography Clinic, in Toronto, Canada, I have found out about the aggressive propaganda, which was generated against thermography, in order to protect an exclusive,risky, invasive and radiation causing technology like mammography.

Dr Mostovoy is a Board Certified Clinical Thermographer and has been involved with thermography for over 13 years imaging over 20,000 women.

He started to explain the situation as follows:

There has been a lot of negative news regarding over diagnosis with mammography lately, however to divert attention – thermography has been attacked. We have been under a vicious attack by CBC News along with Canadian Breast Cancer Society to discredit thermography and to deny women access to this non-invasive technology. Our health regulators are only too happy to comply after this well orchestrated story.

Here you can view the fabricated, pathetic and misleading investigation by CBC News, which the health officials and reporters carefully put together, just by cherry picking their favorite facts:

The Truth : What Is The Difference Between Thermography and Mammography?

If we have two technologies to detect breast cancer, both having their own limitations, where one has increasing negative outcomes and higher collateral risks, and one is non-invasive and doesn’t have risks, it would just make sense to at least give the population the freedom to choose, right? It would be fair not to “ban” due to a set agenda, but to offer women as many choices as possible, so they can decide what’s best for their health. By limiting these choices, fairness and freedom don’t have a place in the equation anymore.

But let’s look at the facts and differences between thermography and mammography, as stated by dr Mostovoy, in his article, What’s the Difference?

Mammography

• Structural test: can pinpoint the location of suspicious area
• Compresses the breast
• X-ray radiation produces an image; the area of concern must have greater density to stand out against regular tissue
• Can detect tumors in mainly slow growing stage or pre-invasive stage
• Can not detect fast growing tumors in the pre-invasive stage
• The use of hormones decreases sensitivity
• Large, dense and fibrocystic breasts are difficult to read
• The upper portions of the breast including the tail of the breast and the Axillary region cannot be visualized
• Can detect tumors 1-2 years earlier than physical examination
• Average Specificity 75% (25% false-positive) 9 out of 10 biopsies initiated by mammography are negative
• Average Sensitivity 80% with 20% of cancers missed in women over age 50 in women under age 50 Sensitivity is 60% or 40% of cancers missed

Thermography

• Functional testing, able to detect physiological changes, cannot pinpoint the exact location of suspicious area
• No radiation, non-invasive, no risk, can be used as often as necessary to observe the effectiveness of treatment over time
• Uses infrared detectors to detect heat and increased vascularity that may be related to angiogenesis
• Can detect physiological changes many years prior to any other method of screening
• Very sensitive to fast growing aggressive tumors
• Hormonal activity in the breast will affect thermographic imaging but not to the point of abnormality
• All breast shapes, conditions and areas are within the scope of imaging
• Earliest warning system with breast tissue and physiological changes that usually precedes tumor formation years prior to its occurrence
• Average Specificity 90% (10% false positive)
• Average Sensitivity 90% (10% cancers missed) most of these are slow growing tumors with low metabolic rate in the area with a high rate of survival

As you can see, thermography is a functional test, which serves as a risk marker that complements, rather than replaces mammography. It is not a competitor or a replacement for mammography. A low risk thermography rating does not mean that cancer is not present; it simply suggests that there is a statistically low probability yet there are always exceptions. Same is true when a high risk rating is established, this does not indicate the presence of cancer – it only suggests a higher level of risk and will require additional examination and closer monitoring.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that when combined with other structural or anatomical tests, thermography may contribute to the best evaluation of breast health. THIS would be in the patient’s best interest, NOT in the profit driven companies’ interests.

How Health Officials Can Decide Your Fate and Take Away Your Freedom Of Choice

Health Canada managed to issue an arbitrary ban on the use of the thermography procedure in several provinces throughout the country, although on its website it claims to “respect individual choices and circumstances”…Yes, it does sound like hypocrisy to me. By running the concoction of misleading facts in their video report, CBC news quoted some of Health Canada’s “experts”, who just can’t find a different way to defend a limited, risky, yet money-making technology, other than taking out of the picture potential “competitors”. (And I’ve already explained above why these two shouldn’t be viewed as such in the first place.)

Where lies the seriousness of this situation?

People are treated like mindless puppets

The above mentioned “health experts” and reporters have repeatedly insinuating that women are simply unable to make informed decisions for themselves, without the government telling them what is safe and what works. This is actually the main theory that enabled pharmaceutical companies and mainstream medicine to take the health responsibility away from the people, while promising a “cure” that always comes through a needle, drug or technology with negative effects. People were brainwashed into thinking they are not capable enough to understand how the body works and what it needs to stay free of negative health symptoms.

Twisting and altering important scientific data

The CBC News report suggests that thermography is some kind of deceptive marketing scam that tricks women into believing that cancer probabilities can actually be detected this way.

Truth is that there have literally been hundreds of published studies conducted on thermography over the years showing that it is a highly effective way to detect breast cancer early without the need for radiation. To view just a few of these studies, which started as early as 1974 and continue to our days, you can visit Thermography Clinic’s page with studies here

The evidence is there and it is obvious. The lies are easily accepted once they hit mainstream media, and so the freedom to choose a safer alternative to mammograms has been suddenly denied to tens of thousands of Canadian women. Are Americans next?

Power to the Government, not to the people

This event is unfortunately just another way to tell people that only the Government knows it all. If the Government doesn’t approve of an alternative treatment it HAS to be a fraud! Don’t you think this way of thinking is dangerous and it actually undermines even more the ability of people to think and decide for themselves, while assuming responsibility? It has been obviously very tempting for many people over the years to just “dump” responsibility and the effort of taking decisions in the “authorities’” yard. It was so convenient. And authorities couldn’t have been happier to be able to set their desired agenda completely undisturbed. Who pays for this now?

How Can You Submit Your Protest, Support Freedom of Choice and The Right To HEALTH

Thermography Clinic has issued a press release subsequently to media outlets across North America, that you can see on their Facebook page

They also published a position paper and started a petition drive to help protect women’s right to this technology which Health Canada is trying to ban.

If you think it’s high time for health freedom to be protected, don’t wait another day; get involved, and get educated on the matter!

Resources:

thermographyclinic.com/what-s-the-difference

thermographyclinic.com/can-breast-thermography-replace-mammography

naturalnews.com/038306_Health_Canada_mammograms_thermography

Photo credit: WakeUp World