Was Andy Rooney killed by his surgery?

(NaturalNews) The infamous media writer Andy Rooney died last week after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed, but reportedly minor, condition. Though he was 92 years old, Rooney was not known to be sick prior to this minor surgery — but somehow the medical procedure went awry, which resulted in the rapid demise of the often-controversial 60 Minutes commentator. Whether you loved him or hated him, it is undeniable that Andy Rooney had become a type of American media legend. And while many of those paying tribute to his life after his passing have a lot of good things to say about him, one glaring segment that is missing from such reports concerns the circumstances surrounding his mysterious death. Why did an otherwise healthy man suddenly die after being admitted to the hospital for a minor surgery? What were the “major complications” that arose following this minor surgery, and how were they able to progress so badly that they ended up killing him? Throughout the past several years, NaturalNews has covered the many celebrities and other prominent figures that have died from things like prescription drug overdoses and conventional treatments for serious conditions like cancer. In many of these cases, their cause of death could be traced back to the treatment rather than the disease. While nobody knows for sure why Andy Rooney went in for surgery, it is clear from media reports that the issue was minor and not life threatening. And even though nobody in the media seems all that concerned with investigating the incident further, it is also clear that something went terribly wrong during Rooney’s surgery that ended up killing him. Rooney was very private with his personal life and medical history, which is perhaps why the media is leaving the surgery issue alone. But it only seems right that the issue be addressed — after all, if there was some type of medical malpractice involved, does not the world deserve to know the truth? A 2010 study published in the British Journal of Surgery found that roughly 25 percent of patients end up in worse shape after surgery than they were before surgery (http://www.naturalnews.com/030839_surgery_patients.html). And another more recent study out of Harvard University found that many surgeries performed on seniors are unnecessary, and they often correspond with increased mortality (http://www.naturalnews.com/034013_hospital_profits_Medicare.html). Was Rooney the victim of a conventional medical procedure that was dangerous and unnecessary for a man of his age? Sources for this article include: http://news.yahoo.com/andy-rooney-wry-60-minutes-commentator-dies-133038061.html http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/26/entertainment/la-et-quick-20111026

Boost anti-cancer properties of broccoli by spicing it up

(NaturalNews) Ample and well-established research has confirmed that consuming broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is a great way to help prevent cancer. But new research published in the British Journal of Nutrition has revealed that pairing broccoli with other foods and spices rich in myrosinase, (one of the key anti-cancer compounds found in broccoli) significantly increases the vegetable’s cancer-fighting abilities. Jenna M. Cramer and her colleagues from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition studied and compared the anti-cancer effects of eating broccoli alone, to those exhibited when eating broccoli in combination with other foods rich in myrosinase, an enzyme necessary to convert GRP into SF, without which there would be no way to metabolize SF. While broccoli alone, particularly when overcooked, contains little or no myrosinase, human digestive enzymes and flora are still capable of converting some the vegetable’s GRP into SF. However, when myrosinase-rich foods like broccoli sprouts are added to the mix, the effect is remarkable, as seen with the team’s final study results. “To get the effect of anti-cancer benefits, spice up your broccoli with broccoli sprouts, mustard, horseradish, or wasabi,” said Elizabeth Jeffery, a corresponding author to the study. She added that cabbage, arugula, watercress, and other cruciferous vegetables paired with broccoli can also do the trick. “The spicier the better, that means it’s being effective.” Essentially, broccoli sprouts and other spices react with substances in cooked broccoli or broccoli powder to produce SF. And in tests, this reaction results not only in an added amount of SF created in the bloodstream, but also an effectively longer period of time during which it remains in the bloodstream to perform its vital anti-cancer work. The addition of myrosinase into the equation also causes the digestive tract to absorb the anti-cancer compounds, earlier in the gut rather than later. This is crucial because absorption rates in the upper intestine are much higher than they are in the lower intestine, where most nutrients in food end up being assimilated. “[I]t pays to spice (broccoli) up for added benefits and find ways to make it appealing so you don’t mind eating it if you’re not a broccoli fan,” added Cramer. “I add fresh broccoli sprouts to sandwiches and add them as one of my pizza toppings after the pie is out of the oven.” Sources for this story include: http://journals.cambridge.org/jeffery http://www.earthtimes.org/health/spice-broccoli-help-cancer-fight/1360/

Twenty-five percent of patients end up in worse shape after surgery than they were before

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the British Journal of Surgery has found that surgical operations are not always beneficial to patients. According to study data, roughly 14 percent of patients end up with more physical and emotional pain after their surgeries than before them, and about 25 percent experience an overall decrease in strength a year after the procedure. For the study, more than 400 men and women took a health survey prior to their operations, and at six and 12 months after them. The survey evaluated physical strength capability, levels of pain and mental acuity at these various intervals, and compared them to one another. A year after their surgeries, 17 percent of patients reported more pain than before, 14 percent indicated reduced functional ability and 16 percent said their mental states had declined. “Our study showed poor recovery was relatively frequent six and 12 months after surgery and could be partly explained by various physical and psychological factors,” explained Dr. Madelon Peters from the Department of Clinical Psychology Science at Maastricht University, in a report. Though most surgery patients seem to recover fairly well during the year following the procedure, a significant number do not. One of the serious long-term side effects of surgery is chronic post-surgical pain and according to recent studies, the number of cases of this condition have increased at an alarmingly high rate over the past few years. Consequently, some experts argue that extra caution must be taken when determining whether or not to undergo surgery. If a surgery is necessary, it is best to apply naturopathic healing techniques, such as supplementing with certain therapeutic vitamins and minerals both before and after surgery, to help ensure an optimal recovery. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/w-uto082510.php

Consume more omega-3s to protect your eyesight

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Ophthalmology confirms that omega-3 fatty acids help to maintain eye health and protect against age-related eye diseases like macular degeneration. Researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine observed that people who eat lots of fish and other seafood rich in omega-3s tend to have a much lower risk of developing eye disease than people who do not. Over the course of a year, the research team evaluated the eating habits of 2,520 randomly-selected people between the ages of 65 and 84. They compared the participants’ eating habits to rates of age-related macular degeneration and found that those who ate the least amount of omega-3 foods were most likely to have advanced macular degeneration (AMD). A 2009 study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology also identified a link between eating oily fish rich in omega-3s and a decreased risk of eye disease. In that study, those with early AMD who ate a diet rich in omega-3s experienced a 25 percent reduced risk of having the disease progress any further (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20630597). “Both antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your eyes and preserve your vision in a variety of ways,” explains Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, in his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why . “Oily fish — and the omega-3 fatty acids found in them — can help protect against macular degeneration.” Omega-3s serve a lot of other useful functions as well. They help prevent and treat heart disease, aging, diabetes, gum disease, obesity, depression, infertility, arthritis, and cancer, among many other things (http://www.naturalnews.com/omega-3.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20630597 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-heb-omega-3-20101202,0,1596643.story

Potato chips, fries linked to cancer

(NaturalNews) When potato products are fried in oil at high temperatures, they produce a chemical called acrylamide that can cause cancer. And a new study in the British Journal of Cancer adds to the mounting evidence against the chemical, showing that acrylamide is associated with a 20 percent increased risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Back in July, a study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment found that women with the highest intake of acrylamide were 31 percent more likely to develop ER+ breast cancer, 47 percent more likely to develop PR+ breast cancer, and 43 percent more likely to develop ER+PR+ breast cancer, compared to women who consumed the least or no acrylamide. In 2009, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that acrylamide intake caused an increase in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, increased inflammation markers in antioxidants, which would otherwise remove acrylamide, and other neurological damage (http://www.naturalnews.com/025774_acrylamide_food_health.html). And in 2008, a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology found that women who eat roughly one serving of potato chips a day are twice as likely as those who do not to develop ovarian or endometrial cancers. Fried potatoes are not the only foods that contain acrylamide, though. Any starchy foods that are cooked too long or at too high a temperature can form acrylamide, including even grilled meats and vegetables with grill marks on them. Toasted breads and cereals, baked foods, browned meats, and even some dried fruits also contain acrylamide (http://www.naturalnews.com/024942_acrylamides_acrylamide_foods.html). “Consumers can reduce their exposure to acrylamide by limiting their intake of potato chips and French fries…and quitting smoking, which is a major source of acrylamide,” said Mary Ann Johnson, PhD, a spokesperson at the American Society for Nutrition. Sources for this story include: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Safety/chemical/carcinogen_in_fries_linked_to_breast_cancer_2810100734.html http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Safety/chemical/fries_chips_linked_to_breast_cancer_1910100751.html

Beta carotene may treat eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa

(NaturalNews) Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a name for a large group of inherited vision disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the light sensitive membrane that coats the inside of the eye — the retina. For most people with RP, night blindness is the first symptom of the problem. Then side vision goes, resulting in tunnel vision and, eventually, central vision deteriorates. Complete blindness, though uncommon, can occur. Retinitis pigmentosa has long been declared an “incurable” disease by mainstream medicine, although several studies over the past two decades have shown that vitamin A may slow down RP’s progression. However, many doctors balk at prescribing high dose vitamin A because they fear it will result in liver problems. But a report just presented at the recent Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting held in Chicago has provided new hope for RP sufferers. Researchers have found that the nutrient beta carotene (found abundantly in yellow and orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes), which does not carry the liver risks associated with high doses of vitamin A, can improve vision in some people with supposedly incurable RP. Last year, Dr.Ygal Rotenstreich of the Sheba Medical Center’s Goldschleger Eye Research Institute in Tel Hashomer, Israel, published a study in the British Journal of Opthalmology showing that a specific form of the nutrient beta carotene, dubbed 9-cis, was effective in treating people with the eye disease retinal dystrophy which causes night blindness. Because RP usually usually begins in childhood with the first signs of night blindness, Dr. Rotenstreich and his research team decided to see if 9-cis could be helpful in retinitis pigmentosa, too. And it was. In their recent study, one third of the 29 participating RP patients showed marked improvement in visual function while taking the prescribed oral dose of the beta carotene for only 90 days. It will take more research to find out if longer treatment would provide even more effective therapy for RP. “We recommend repeating the study with patients with the genetic forms of RP that would be most likely to respond to oral beta carotene,” Dr. Rotenstreich said in a press statement. “We know its positive effect is associated with retinoid cycle defect, which is involved in some but not all forms of RP. Also, future research should look for the optimal beta carotene dosage.” For more information: http://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2009/12/01/bjo.2009.167049 http://www.naturalnews.com/beta-carotene.html

Breast cancer breakthrough: watercress turns off signal that causes tumors to develop

(NaturalNews) As a cancerous tumor develops, it quickly outgrows its existing blood supply. So a protein called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) is released that sends out signals causing surrounding normal tissues to grow new blood vessels into the tumor — and that provides the cancer with oxygen and nutrients. This plays a critical role in the development and spread of breast and other cancers. But now comes word from University of Southampton researchers in the United Kingdom that they’ve discovered something which interferes with and actually “turns off” the ability of HIF to function — a natural plant compound dubbed phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) found in the herb watercress. “This research takes an important step towards understanding the potential health benefits of this crop since it shows that eating watercress may interfere with a pathway that has already been tightly linked to cancer development,” molecular oncologist Professor Packham, who headed the two year study, said in a statement to the media. “Knowing the risk factors for cancer is a key goal and studies on diet are an important part of this.” Working with Barbara Parry, Senior Research Dietician at the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit, Professor Packham performed a study involving a group of breast cancer survivors who underwent a period of fasting. Then the research subjects ate 80g of watercress (about the equivalent of a cereal bowl full of the herb). Next, a series of blood samples were taken over the next 24 hours. The blood tests revealed significant levels of the plant compound PEITC in the blood of the participants following the watercress meal. But, most importantly, the tests showed that the function of the protein HIF was also measurably affected and “turned off” in the blood cells of the women who had eaten the watercress. The results of this research, which were just published in the British Journal of Nutrition and Biochemical Pharmacology , provide new insight and hope that simply eating watercress regularly may protect against and perhaps help treat cancer. “This is not a cure for cancer but it may well help to prevent the disease,” said Professor Packham. “We carried out this study with a handful of breast cancer survivors but it has the potential to have the same effect with other cancers too.” For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20546646

Study linking calcium to heart attack risk flawed, says doctor

(NaturalNews) A recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine claims that people who supplement with calcium are at an increased risk of having a heart attack. But Dr. Steven Joyal, MD, President of Scientific and Medical Affairs at the Life Extension Foundation, says that the study is completely flawed and misleading, and that calcium is a vital nutrient for preventing heart problems. In a rebuttal, Dr. Joyal explains why the methodology used in the study was flawed, and why calcium supplementation is actually highly beneficial in preventing heart attacks, especially when used together with vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium. According to Dr. Joyal’s analysis, study authors excluded participants who took vitamin D and magnesium in conjunction with calcium, which skewed the results. These two nutrients work together with calcium to protect bone health. Most of those included as part of the study, though they were taking some level of calcium, were deficient in vitamin D, and vitamin D deficiency increases cardiovascular risk. None of these factors were made plain in the study paper. Dr. Joyal also emphasizes that study authors conveniently eliminated many of the studies directly linking calcium intake to reduced cardiovascular events. Even when taken alone, calcium has been shown to be beneficial to heart health. But these studies were not included as part of the official paper, either. Scientific experiments have shown that people who are calcium deficient actually have a 170 percent increased rate of blood vessel calcification, which is a factor in causing heart problems. Those who supplement with calcium, on the other hand, reduce their calcification levels by 62 percent. Sources for this story include: http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/Flawed-Analysis-Misleads-Public-About-Calcium-Heart-Attack-Risk.htm

Moms can reduce risk of eczema in their babies by taking probiotics

(NaturalNews) About 20 percent of babies and toddlers have the condition known as eczema which causes red, swollen and intensely itchy skin. It usually develops on the forehead, cheeks, and scalp, but it can spread to the arms, legs, chest and other parts of the body. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 65 percent of eczema cases develop in the first year of life and 90 percent develop symptoms before the age of five. While many babies with eczema get better before they are two, others have cases of eczema that persist into adulthood. Evidence has accumulated over the past decade that this common skin problem is connected to something going on in the gut — and that probiotics, beneficial microorganisms similar to the “friendly” bacteria found naturally in the body’s digestive system, can help. For example, a review of 21 studies, published last year in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology , concluded probiotics were most useful in preventing atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema, from developing in the first place. And a groundbreaking new study, just published in the British Journal of Dermatology , found that when moms drank a probiotic supplement during their pregnancy and after their babies were born, the rate of eczema in their offspring was slashed by about half. This research, conducted by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), is especially convincing because it was a randomized, double-blind study comparing mothers who drank one glass of probiotic milk daily to women who drank milk containing a placebo. The research subjects drank the probiotic or placebo-laced milk beginning at week 36 in their pregnancy and continued consuming the drinks for three months after giving birth. The results were dramatic: the women who received the probiotic drink reduced the incidence of eczema by 40 percent in their offspring. “The taste of both products was similar, and the milk was delivered in unmarked milk cartons. This means that neither the participants in the study nor the researchers knew who had received probiotic milk or placebo milk,” NTNU scientist Torbjorn Oien said in a statement to the press. “We can therefore say with great certainty that it was the probiotic bacteria alone that caused the difference in the incidence of eczema between the two groups.” In fact, although earlier studies have provided evidence that ingestion of some probiotics by children may prevent eczema, this is the first study to show that probiotics given to mothers during pregnancy and breast-feeding prevents eczema. As NaturalNews has previously reported, probiotics in dietary supplements or in food such as yogurt, have also been found to be useful and safe in treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea children (http://www.naturalnews.com/026037_Chi_alternative_therapies_health.html). For more information: http://www.ntnu.edu/probiotic-use-in-pregnancy http://www.naturalnews.com/probiotics.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/762045-overview

If ultrasound destroys sperm, why is it safe for a fetus?

(NaturalNews) Ultrasound is extremely damaging to the health of any unborn child (fetus). The natural health community has been warning about ultrasound for years, but mainstream medicine, which consistently fails to recognize the harm it causes, insists ultrasound is perfectly safe and can’t possibly harm the health of a fetus. Now, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is funding a project that aims to temporarily sterilize men by blasting their scrotums with ultrasound. The burst of ultrasound energy, it turns out, disrupts the normal biological function of the testes , making the man infertile for six months . Ultrasound, in other words, contains enough energy to temporarily deaden the testes and basically destroy sperm function for half a year. So why is it considered “safe” to blast an unborn baby with the same frequencies? Ultrasound is loud . It no doubt causes tissue disruption and damage in a fetus, and it certainly creates stress and shock for the baby. And yet conceited yuppie parents just can’t get enough of it! They want to SEE a picture of their little baby before it’s even born, so they subject it to tissue damage and ultrasound trauma in order to get a snapshot they can show off to their yuppie friends. It’s so American, isn’t it? Damage the baby so we can get a snapshot to post on Facebook. What a way to welcome a baby into the world: Blast it with piercing high-frequency energy. Sound is very easily transmitted through fluids, by the way, and the fetus is floating in a sac of amniotic fluid that transmits the ultrasound energy right at them. Ultrasound harms the fetus Here’s what some other website have to say about how ultrasound harms the health of the fetus: From The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ultrasound-may-harm-foetuses-1509275.html) Frequent ultrasound scans during pregnancy may result in growth restriction in the womb and the birth of smaller babies, according to a study of almost 3,000 Australian women, writes Liz Hunt. The findings, reported in the Lancet, have led to calls for more research into the effects of ultrasound, and a leading obstetrician warns that ‘prenatal ultrasound by itself can no longer be assumed to be entirely harmless’. From Midwifery Today (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasoundwagner.asp?q=ultrasound) The safety issue is made more complicated by the problem of exposure conditions. Clearly, any bio-effects that might occur as a result of ultrasound would depend on the dose of ultrasound received by the fetus or woman. But there are no national or international standards for the output characteristics of ultrasound equipment. The result is the shocking situation described in a commentary in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, in which ultrasound machines in use on pregnant women range in output power from extremely high to extremely low, all with equal effect. The commentary reads, “If the machines with the lowest powers have been shown to be diagnostically adequate, how can one possibly justify exposing the patient to a dose 5,000 times greater?” It goes on to urge government guidelines on the output of ultrasound equipment and for legislation making it mandatory for equipment manufacturers to state the output characteristics. As far as is known, this has not yet been done in any country. From NaturalNews (http://www.naturalnews.com/019910_ultrasound_infant_health.html) …pregnant mice exposed to ultrasound gave birth to some offspring that suffered brain abnormalities. The mice exposed to ultrasound for 30 minutes or longer experienced a small but significant migration of brain neurons to improper places in the brain. Sources for this story include: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8674380.stm

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