Is your medication causing you to suffer from malnutrition?

(NaturalNews) Most people trust that the medicines that they take will help them overcome illness, enhance their health and promote well-being. Unfortunately medications often deplete important nutrients from the body, and people don’t find the relief that they seek. People who have become malnourished as a result of their medications are vulnerable to a host of nutrition related diseases. To make matters worse, they may find themselves having to treat malnourishment with a new batch of medications and this may become a dangerous cycle. For instance, statins which are used to control cholesterol levels reduce CoEnzyme 10 and other important nutrients. Statins may also result in lower levels of A, D, K, folic acid and iron in the body. Cholesterol gets a bad rap, but it helps the body digest fats and nutrients and is important for regulating hormones. Even common medications such as laxatives and antacids can deplete or block the uptake of essential nutrients. PPI antacids, for example interfere with Vitamin B-12. Furthermore blocking acid production for long periods of time using antacids may reduce the body’s ability to absorb minerals. Loss of B12 over time may result in anemia, as well as other conditions including fatigue. Blocked acid production by antacids can leave the body vulnerable to infections and bone fractures as well. The use of antibiotics has become a hot topic because the overuse of these medications has led to antibiotic resistant bacteria, and the loss of healthy bacteria. Antibiotics may also be harmful because they deplete the body of essential nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, Vitamins B, and iron. Another group that decrease nutrients are pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Aspirin and salicylates available over the counter for example, rob the body of folic acid and potassium. Other medicines commonly used for pain and swelling such as Cortisone, and Prednisone reduce levels of the nutrients calcium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins D and C to name a few. Diuretics such as Lasis and Endecrin deplete sodium, potassium, magnesium and Vitamins B1 and B6. Other medications that serve as a diuretic like Enduron deplete levels of Co-Q 10, and sodium and other important nutrients. Women who take hormone replacement drugs and birth control drugs are also at risk for malnutrition as they deplete levels magnesium, zinc and B2, B6, B12 and folic acid. SSRI(selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors)drugs that are widely used are also associated with nutritional deficiencies. While a SSRI is commonly used to treat depression, they are also prescribed for some sorts of injuries, pain and are used on occasion to treat allergies. SSRI interferes with the absorption of B-12 as well as other nutrients like biotin and folic acid. SSRIs may also deplete Co-Q 10. Before beginning a new medication consult with your doctor, or pharmacist to find out what your nutritional risks are. Here are just a few important nutrients commonly depleted by medications and some of the ways that can lead to new disease. * Lack of proper levels of sodium may result in; nausea, diarrhea, weight loss, and muscle cramps * Magnesium depletion may result in soft bones, fatigue, heart palpitations, convulsions and acne * Zinc loss may disturb digestion and retard growth * Iron is important in growth, vitality and a deficiency leads to anemia * Vitamin A is essential in bone and tooth development and health. It is also important for the immune system. * B1 is crucial for heart health, fights depression, constipation and fatigue. Provides protection for the heart * B5 lack of this important vitamin may result in insomnia, abdominal pain, depression, rapid pulse, lowered blood pressure and disturbed electrolytes. * B12 crucial for development and health of nervous system, lack of B12 may result in anemia. * Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ 10)is crucial in all cellular functions, and is highly concentrated in heart tissue. A deficiency may lead to heart disease.

Survey: Many women shoppers avoid OTC drugs, seek natural alternatives

(NaturalNews) A recent study conducted by The Hartman Group on behalf of Boiron, a global manufacturer of homeopathic medicines, has found that 82 percent of women shoppers ages 25-70 try to avoid buying traditional over-the-counter (OTC) medications that treat conditions like headaches and influenza. According to the survey, such women simply do not think such drugs are good for them or their families, and many would rather try natural, healthy alternatives like homeopathy. More than 1,400 women participated in the online survey, which found that 42 percent of women consider the purity and healthfulness of medicines highly important. Thirty-one percent of the women also said they pay close attention to both chemical and “irritant” content when choosing OTC medicines. Interestingly, only 15 percent of respondents indicated that they had actually ever used a homeopathic remedy. Fourteen percent said they had given homeopathic remedies to their children within the year prior to the survey, but he vast majority of participants said they simply did not know enough about homeopathy and had thus never considered it. But at least 33 percent, after being given a quick summary of the safety and effectiveness of homeopathy, said they would be interested in trying it. Though the survey was prompted by a company that sells homeopathic remedies, it offers an important insight into the purveyance of knowledge in the U.S. concerning illness treatments. Drug companies freely promote and market OTC medicines as if they are the only option available to address illness symptoms, also falsely purporting that such medicines are perfectly safe. Homeopathy, though virtually untouched by the mainstream media as being a safe and effective alternative to relieving various pain symptoms, is effective at treating a host of illnesses including ear infections, morning sickness, diarrhea, nausea, insomnia, insect stings, snake bites, allergies, influenza, colds, and many other conditions (http://www.naturalnews.com/homeopathic_remedies.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/45775-Boiron-Oscillococcinum/links/45775-UPDATED-Press-Release.pdf

Common weed helps treat herpes, study finds

(NaturalNews) Tansy, a flowering plant that has long been used as a folk remedy to treat fevers, rheumatism, and other conditions, may now have another known health benefit. According to a recent study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research , antiviral compounds naturally present in tansy show effectiveness in treating the herpes virus. Dr. Solomon Habtemariam from the University of Greenwich in the UK and Professor Francisco Parra from the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain together set out to research the medicinal properties of tansy and verify the plant’s efficacy. They not only observed the plant to be a powerful antiviral, but they also identified which substances are responsible for this effect. “Our research focused on the antiviral properties of tansy, especially the potential treatment it may represent for herpes,” said Parra. “[W]e found that tansy does contain known antiviral agents including 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-DCQA) as well as axillarin, which contributes to its antiherpetic effect,” adding that the multiple antiherpetic agents present in tansy work together to fight viruses. A 2008 study out of Morocco found that tansy, also known more properly as Tanacetum vulgare, is effective at treating hypertension and promoting rapid relaxation. And a 2006 study explains that tansy leaves have also been commonly used in folk medicine as a effective diuretic. Other known uses for tansy include treating nervousness, fatigue, head ailments, mental irritability, ear ringing, stomach pains, digestive problems, and respiratory ailments. Tansy extracts also kill internal parasites and works as an effective insect repellant. Certain compounds in tansy are highly toxic, however. Ingesting tansy oil can cause liver and digestive tract problems, for instance, when not used correctly. Be sure to consult your physician before undertaking any protocol involving tansy. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/w-ofr022211.php http://www.webhomeopath.com/homeopathy/homeopathic-remedies/homeopathy-remedy-Tanacetum_Vulgare.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18760343 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17113735

Mexico rejects Monsanto’s GMO corn

(NaturalNews) Mexican officials seem to have more common sense than American officials, with their continued denouncement of Monsanto’s genetically-modified (GM) corn. Mexico has kept in effect a moratorium on Monsanto’s GM corn since 2005, citing a lack of safety studies and evidence showing the “Frankencorn” is safe, and that it will not cross-contaminate non-GM crops. The Mexican government recently denied Monsanto’s request to expand a pilot program for its crops in Northern Mexico as well. In 2009, Mexico decided to allow Monsanto to plant small GM corn test sites on the condition that the company could both prove that its crops were resistant to pests and pesticides, and that they could provide economic benefits to Mexico. Monsanto has yet to show that the crops actually benefit people rather than its own pocketbook, and of course the multinational biotechnology company has yet to submit a single legitimate safety study for its crops. The Mexican govenment seems to have had enough of the games, it seems, having recently denied any further expansions of the Monsanto test sites. With its many varieties of heritage corn, Mexico has a lot to lose if its corn stocks become contaminated with Monsanto’s patented corn varieties. So it is pressing for more safety studies before any further plantings take place. To date, there has never been a single, verifiable safety study proving that any GMO is safe for people or for the environment. GMO residues, however, are known to travel to nearby fields and contaminate conventional and organic crop varieties. In fact, most of North Dakota is now blanketed in GMO canola, as the mutant crop now infests fields and meadows, and grows by roadside all across the midwestern plain state (http://www.naturalnews.com/030810_GMOs_European_Union.html). GMOs are linked to a host of animal and human health problems as well, including rapid aging, organ dysfunction, infertility, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and altered insulin regulation, among other conditions. In fact, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called for a moratorium on GMOs back in 2009, and warned the public to avoid them (http://www.naturalnews.com/026426_GMO_food_GMOs.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.mexico.vg/businesses/mexico-monsanto-pilot-project/2494 http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201101261539dowjonesdjonline000504&title=monsanto-asks-mexico-to-rethink-delay-in-modified-corn-tests http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2011/01/27/mexico-says-no-to-monsanto/

Study: 25 percent of antidepressants prescribed for no legitimate reason

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the University of Manitoba (UM) in Canada recently found that more than a quarter of people who take antidepressant drugs like Prozac and Zoloft do not even have any of the conditions for which the drugs were approved. Data shows that doctors routinely prescribe antidepressants to patients for off-label purposes that the drugs have never been shown to legitimately treat, and patients end up needlessly bearing the brunt of serious side effects in the process. “We cannot be sure that the risks and side effects of antidepressants are worth the benefit of taking them for people who do not meet criteria for major depression,” said Jina Pagura, a psychologist and medical student at UM who contributed to the study. Her sentiment is precisely that of many others who fear that the careless prescribing of antidepressants to people who do not need them is leading to widespread health problems. Gathering information from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiologic Surveys, which includes over 20,000 U.S. adults, researchers found that ten percent of interviewed patients had taken antidepressants withing the previous year. However, 25 percent of those had never even been diagnosed with any sort of condition for which such drugs would normally be prescribed. “Reviews of claims records, which are diagnoses actually given by health care professionals, suggest that only about 50 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants receive a psychiatric diagnosis,” said Dr. Mark Olfson, a psychiatrist at Columbia University in New York. “These findings raise questions about the clinical appropriateness of antidepressant treatment selection for many primary care patients.” A 2010 study published by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (UP) found that antidepressants do not even work for people with mild to moderate depression, which is the majority of depression cases (http://www.naturalnews.com/028498_antidepressants_clinical_trials.html). Only in isolated cases of “very severe” depression do antidepressants exhibit any perceived benefits at all, and even then they come with so many serious side effects that they are hardly worth the risk. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-many-get-antidepressants-no-psychiatr-idUSTRE7136EW20110204

Feds blame US health care system, not poor diet and lack of exercise, for widespread heart disease

(NaturalNews) Political agendas often make the government say some pretty strange and illogical statements at times, including a recent announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the U.S. health care system, not a poor diet and lack of exercise, is responsible for causing heart disease. The announcement was conveniently made as the U.S. Congress and numerous U.S. states are challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare. The CDC began playing logical gymnastics when it started blaming a lack of universal health care coverage on excessive rates of high blood pressure and cholesterol. According to the agency, two-thirds of people with these conditions are not being treated effectively for their conditions. So, the CDC is pushing for “policy and system changes” to address this. Of course, such changes infer things like universal coverage and more government involvement in telling people when and how to be treated, including taking blood pressure and cholesterol medications for their conditions. But the agency also says that many of the people with such heart conditions already have health coverage. They are just not prescribing to the CDC’s preferred methods of treatment. But it hardly stops there. The CDC took its argument further, insisting that Obamacare will help fix the situation by requiring health insurers to pay for blood pressure and cholesterol screenings for patients, as well as encourage the use of electronic medical records. Nevermind the fact that the majority of patients with these conditions already have health coverage; the CDC is convinced that if people roll over and accept the new health care system without question, health will somehow improve. And it remains unclear exactly how using electronic medical records, which happen to be highly controversial, will lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But this hardly matters to government officials who seem willing to do anything to get them imposed. If the CDC was really concerned about lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as stemming the tide of heart disease that kills hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, it would start working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate things like chemical additives and trans fats from food, fluoride from water, and artificials sweeteners from beverages. It would also work to eliminate harmful genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) from the food supply, as well as get rid of the dangerous chemical pesticides and herbicides used on food crops that continue to destroy health. But the federal government’s agenda is to control the U.S. health care system, not to actually improve health. So it will instead grasp at straws to scare the public into conceding with goals that will do nothing to stop disease and everything to increase its control over how people deal with it. Sources for this story include: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2011/02/02/2011-02-02_us_healthcare_system_deserves_blame_for_heart_attacks_high_blood_pressure_in_ame.html?r=lifestyle/health

Food skyrockets to highest prices ever

(NaturalNews) Figures recently released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) index of 55 food commodities indicates that worldwide food prices hit a record high in December. Though the costs of some food commodities like rice, corn and soy actually decreased, oil seeds and sugar jumped significantly due to various factors including erratic weather and droughts, according to reports. In the past, such ups and downs on the commodity market did not immediately affect actual food costs for consumers, but some experts say that this is no longer the case, and that “food inflation” will occur right alongside the commodity price gains. And rapid food inflation has already taken place in India, for example, with recent reports indicating that the country experienced an overall food inflation rate of 18 percent in 2010. Low food stocks, droughts and poor weather conditions have all contributed to the escalating food crisis, which has led many nations to cut off exports in order to save supplies for their own populations. And the resulting global shortages only exacerbate the problem further as importing nations scramble to source needed commodities for their own populations. Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist at the FAO, explained in a Bloomberg report that since not all commodity prices are rising, the overall indicator can be deceiving. Even so, prices across the board may increase as a result of a domino effect from the commodities that are in short supply, or even from the same conditions like droughts and poor weather that have caused shortages and price increases in the other categories. Rising global food prices and supply uncertainty are just another reason why self-sufficiency is vital to long-term survival. Individuals who grow their own food and live off their own land as much as possible will not be affected by volatile supply and demand issues that affect the global food market. Sources for this story include: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-05/global-food-prices-climb-to-record-on-cereal-sugar-costs-un-agency-says.html

Gout Causes and Treatment

Gout is one of the painful form of the arthritis. The good thing about gout is that it can be controlled and prevented. Gout can be avoided by taking lot of fluids and having well balanced diet and doing the right kind of exercise. Gout is mainly due to deposition of uric acid at the [...]

Choosing When Is The Best Time To Visit The Dentist

There are many various branches of dentistry and some overlap in locations, but you wouldn’t check out a urologist if your tonsils are sore. Similarly, if you are having serious gum issues, you’ll likely check out a specialist named a periodontist instead of a basic dentist. However, a great deal of this also is determined [...]

Severe weather threatens world food supply

(NaturalNews) Extreme weather conditions across the globe are destroying crops, cattle and land, as nations struggle through things like droughts, floods and other natural phenomena. And while some say that these occurrences are natural, cyclic effects from variations in solar activity, others point to climate change as the culprit. Russian wheat crop failures, Kansas cattle deaths and flooding in Pakistan are among the many struggles currently being faced by nations around the world, but why are these extreme weather conditions occurring in the first place? This is a question many are asking as they work to cope with the destruction and seek a solution. Weather extremes have put a heavy strain on food production, which could lead to skyrocketing food prices like the ones seen back in 2007 and 2008 when food was in short supply due to similar events. And according to a recent Reuters article, many are calling for further talks and agreements to be made about climate change legislation as a solution to the problem. According to Neville Nicholls, a climate scientist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles and human industrial activity is leading to “more and more hot extremes and worse unprecedented extremes.” He and others believe global talks must continue to address practical ways to deal with CO2 emissions, and that the time is now to push for climate legislation. Still others, though, point to the sun’s normal cyclic rise and fall in activity as the instigator of alleged global warming, and say that climate legislation will only serve to further erode personal freedom and national sovereignty. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE67B3W320100812

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