Seaweed fibers boost weight loss

A team of scientists at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark has discovered evidence that seaweed fibers have a high corrective impact on obesity. Dietary fibers increase health statusPrevious studies have already established…

Exposed: CDC deliberately manipulated, covered up scientific data showing link between vaccines containing mercury and autism

(NaturalNews) Deniers of the link between mercury-laden vaccines and autism are going to have a hard time denying the latest findings by the Coalition for Mercury-Free Drugs (CoMeD). The nonprofit group has obtained critical documents via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that exposes the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) role in deliberately lying about and manipulating a key Danish study that showed a clear link between vaccines containing mercury and autism. In 2003, the journal Pediatrics published a study conducted in Denmark that observed a significant decline in autism rates following the country’s elimination of Thimerosal, a mercury-based component, from vaccines. But thanks to the CDC’s corrupting influence, the published version of the study in Pediatrics actually claimed the opposite, and alleged that removal of Thimerosal brought about an increase in autism rates. According to the documents, CDC officials removed large amounts of data from the study that showed a decline in autism rates following the removal of Thimerosal. The agency then twisted the remaining data to imply an increase in autism rates following the removal of Thimerosal, and suggested that there was no link between Thimerosal and autism. Upon submission of the CDC’s tainted version of the study to Pediatrics , the study’s authors contacted CDC officials to let them know that the agency had incorrectly interpreted the data. They tried to tell the CDC that its figures and conclusions were wrong, and that corrections needed to be made. The CDC allegedly responded by saying that it would take a look at the incorrect data, but proceeded to submit the corrupted version of the study to Pediatrics anyway. After encouraging the editors of Pediatrics to perform an expedited review of the corrupted study, the CDC ended up convincing the journal to publish the fraudulent study, which it did in 2003. Now that this critical information has been officially released for the world to see, CoMeD is pressing the CDC to conduct a full criminal investigation into the matter, and make a formal declaration about whether or not scientific fraud was involved. CoMeD is also calling for a full, immediate retraction of the corrupted study from Pediatrics . “This should not be tolerated by those who are entrusted with our children’s health and well-being,” says Lisa Sykes, President of CoMeD. To learn more, visit: http://mercury-freedrugs.org/ Sources for this article include: http://www.anh-usa.org/cdc-mercury-in-vaccines/

CSC announces boycott against J&J for continuing to needlessly add cancer-causing chemicals to baby shampoos

(NaturalNews) A new report put together by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) reveals that, despite numerous petitions from consumers and consumer advocacy groups, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) continues to produce baby shampoos that contain two known cancer-causing chemicals. And perhaps the worst part about the whole thing is that J&J has reformulated these products for some countries, but continues to use the toxic versions in North America. Entitled Baby’s Tub is Still Toxic , the CSC report explains that J&J’s Baby Shampoo, Oatmeal Baby Wash, Moisture Care Baby Wash, and Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash all contain 1,4-dioxane, a petrochemical byproduct of the ethoxylation process that lessens the severity of other chemical ingredients, but can also lead to cancer. J&J’s Baby Shampoo also still contains quaternium-15, a harmful preservative added to products to kill bacteria. In the process, though, it releases formaldehyde, a highly poisonous ingredient also used in rat poison. Formaldehyde can cause permanent lung damage, gastrointestinal corrosion, skin burns, and cancer. What is particularly disturbing, though, is the fact that J&J does not need to even be using these chemicals in its baby products. It already makes versions of these same products that are free of these chemicals for Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, and the UK. It is only those baby products made for the US, Australia, Canada, China, and Indonesia that still contain them. “Clearly there is no need for Johnson and Johnson to expose babies to a known carcinogen when the company is already making safer alternatives,” says Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund. “All babies deserve safer products.” J&J responded in a statement by saying that it will eventually phase out these deadly chemicals. But it has yet to reveal whether or not it will do so by the November 15 deadline that CSC is petitioning it to do. “Natural” versions of J&J’s baby shampoo products, which are free of these and other harmful chemicals, are already available in the US and other markets. But they typically cost twice as much as J&J’s conventional varieties, which discourages many consumers from making the switch. “While it is encouraging to see that Johnson and Johnson has made progress in formulating a safer ‘natural’ version of its iconic baby shampoo, now is the time for the company to rise to the occasion and make the safer products the world market is demanding for all its customers,” adds Archer. To read the full Baby’s Tub is Still Toxic report on the J&J double standard, visit: http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=887

Vitamin D increases speed of sperm cells, researchers discover

Vitamin D is important for optimal reproductive function in both animals and humans. It has long been known that serum vitamin D level is important for reproductive function in various animals, but now researchers in Denmark have shown that this relationship can also be demonstrated in humans.

Plastics chemical in packaged foods linked to asthma in babies

(NaturalNews) BPA, also known as bisphenol-A, is a chemical compound often used in the production of a large variety of plastics. The widespread use of BPA has come under public scrutiny due to known connection to a host of health problems, including heart complications, cancer, neurological issues, diabetes and fertility and sexual issues. http://www.naturalnews.com/027736_BPA_sexual_dysfunction.html The chemical can be found in water bottles, dental fillings, plastic containers, canned food linings http://www.naturalnews.com/025128_BPA_food_companies.html, paper receipts, CD/DVD packaging, and more. Numerous studies have found that BPA acts as an endocrine system disrupter, negatively affecting our bodies’ hormone production. Exposure is almost a certainty -a 2004 study by the CDC found BPA in 93% of the over 2000 urine samples tested. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that new information has surfaced linking BPA to breathing issues in babies. An article in Mail Online, discussed the results of a recent study by Penn State College of Medicine. The results found that pregnant mothers with high levels of BPA in their blood during the 16th week of pregnancy are “twice as likely to have infants with wheezing problems in the first six months of life.” What is really scary is that 99% of all the mothers in this study had various levels of bisphenol-A in their systems. There is no question that the use of bisphenol-A use in food and drinking containers should be banned. Even though no country has yet to go that far, Denmark http://www.wecf.eu/english/articles/2010/03/denmark-bisphenola.php was the first country in the EU to ban the chemical in containers that target children under 3; and the entire EU has banned it from use in the production of baby bottles. Northern America has been a bit slower on the uptake but Canada and some states in the United States have begun taking steps to control the use of bisphenol- A in consumer products. Six baby bottle manufacturers removed the chemical from their U.S. bottle production after widespread public outcry. Of course, the plastics industry prefers to spend money to procure studies http://acronymrequired.com/2008/10/fda-bpa-glp.html that cast doubt on the dangers of BPA, rather than implanting BPA safe alternatives. So again, consumers must take steps to protect themselves. Expectant mothers and women planning to conceive should be diligent in avoidance of bisphenol-A contaminated products- it is imperative for the well being of themselves and their infants. Resources: 1. http://www.naturalnews.com/031651_BPA_chemicals.html 2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1382525/Chemicals-food-packaging-linked-breathing-problems-babies.html?ito=feeds-newsxml 3. http://www.naturalnews.com/025804_BPA_Baby_Bottles.html

Vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis

A research team from Denmark examined the vitamin D status in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis compared to those with primary biliary cirrhosis. They found that vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis relates to liver dysfunction rather than etiology, with lower levels of vitamin D in alcoholic cirrhosis than in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Diabetics with low vitamin D have high risk of death

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care says that diabetics who are deficient in vitamin D have a significantly higher risk of dying from all causes or developing cardiovascular disease than those with higher levels of the vitamin. The findings support a multitude of current research on the importance of maintaining high blood levels of vitamin D, regardless of specific health conditions. Dr. Christel Joergensen and her colleagues at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark, found that diabetics with blood levels of vitamin D lower than 13.9 nmol/L (5.6 ng/mL) are nearly twice as likely as those with levels above 13.9 nmol/L to develop heart disease. These same patients were more than twice as likely to die compared to those with higher levels. However, average vitamin D levels among the 289 participants in the study hovered around 35.7 nmol/L (14.3 ng/mL), which is still far below Vitamin D Council recommendations of between 125-200 nmol/L (50-80 ng/mL). In other words, even those patients with levels above the threshold used in the study were still severely deficient in vitamin D. The direct correlation between vitamin D deficiency and disease is observable across the health spectrum. Everything from muscle pain and arthritis, to cancer and autoimmune disorders are aggravated and even caused by having insufficient amounts of vitamin D circulating in the blood (http://www.naturalnews.com/Vitamin_D.html). According to the Vitamin D Council, spending 20 to 30 minutes in the summer sun produces roughly 10,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in white skin, while other sources suggest up to 20,000 IU. Such levels are optimal, and are far higher than current government recommendations of 200 to 400 IU a day. Sources for this story include: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/vitamin_d_deficiency_means_higher_death_risk_in_diabetes_1711100.html

Common painkiller drugs lead to male infertility

(NaturalNews) Phthalates, bisphenol-A (BPA), and other environmental toxins are now widely known to disrupt proper hormone function in humans, but a new study has revealed that common painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen are far worse. According to scientists from Denmark, Finland, and France, pregnant women who take painkiller drugs have a significantly higher risk of bearing baby boys with reproductive problems than pregnant women who do not. Published in the journal Human Reproduction , the study draws urgent attention to the serious dangers associated with painkiller drugs. Pregnant women who take any painkiller drugs during their second trimester double their risk of having a baby boy with cryptorchidism, a condition in which the boy’s testicles do not properly descend due to inadequate testosterone production. And taking more than one painkiller drug during the second trimester raises that risk by a whopping 1,600 percent. “A single paracetamol tablet [500mg] contains more endocrine disruptor potency than the combined exposure to the 10 most prevalent of the currently known environmental endocrine disruptors during the whole pregnancy,” explained Dr. Henrik Leffers, senior scientist at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen and author of the study. “In fact, a single tablet will, for most women, be at least a doubling of the exposure to the known endocrine disruptors during the pregnancy and that dose comes on a single day, not spread out over nine months as with the environmental endocrine disruptors. Thus, for women using mild analgesics during the pregnancy, the mild analgesics will be by far the largest exposure to endocrine disruptors.” Taking painkiller drugs is largely considered to have no significant risks associated with it, so millions of people pop them every time they have an ache or pain. And use of such painkillers is quite common among pregnant women as well, with more than 57 percent of Danish mothers admitting in a telephone survey they used them. The modern world seems to be a minefield of assault against the male reproductive system. Even laptop computers are a threat, heating up male genitalia to temperatures so high that reproductive function becomes impaired (http://www.naturalnews.com/030326_laptop_computers_infertility.html). So it is important to be cautious and aware of the things you eat and exposure yourself to. Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/08/paracetamol-pregnancy-link-reproductive-disorder

Vitamin D deficiency could be a cause of autism

(NaturalNews) A new Danish study published in the journal Pediatrics has identified a link between neonatal jaundice and autism. Babies born with jaundice have a significantly increased risk of developing both general psychological problems and autism, and researchers believe a vitamin D deficiency is to blame. Formed from data on over 733,000 Danish children born between 1994 and 2004, the study revealed that jaundiced newborns are 87 percent more likely to develop a psychological disorder than newborns without jaundice. Jaundiced babies are also 56 percent more likely to develop autism than their otherwise healthy counterparts. Part of the reason why experts believe vitamin D deficiency might relate to autism is the fact that babies born between October and March were about twice as likely to develop autism than children born during other parts of the year. The months between October and March are during the wintertime in Denmark, when sunlight exposure is at a minimum. And besides producing vitamin D in the body, sunlight exposure also breaks down bilirubin, a substance implicated in causing jaundice. Bilirubin is a natural metabolite that the liver normally processes and eliminates, but newborns are incapable of breaking it down, which leads to jaundice. And excess amount of bilirubin are known to cause serious brain injury when left untreated, lending credence to the hypothesis that the chemical may be somehow involved in causing autism. According to Dr. John Cannell, vitamin D expert and director of the Vitamin D Council, prenatal vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to autism. Vitamin D not only naturally eliminates bilirubin, but it cures neonatal jaundice as well. Dr. Cannell suggests that women take 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day during pregnancy. He also suggests that babies born with jaundice be exposed to natural sunlight as an effective treatment, and in order to avoid brain injuries. You can read more about Dr. Cannell’s research on vitamin D and autism by visiting the following page: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/autism/ To learn more about autism, check out the NaturalNews.com autism page: http://www.naturalnews.com/autism.html Sources for this story include: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Disease/neonatal_jaundice_linked_to_autism_1210100720.html

New research: sporadic type of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow) results from surgery

(NaturalNews) There is probably no more horrific and frightening incurable disease than Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Also known as the human form of mad cow disease, this degenerative, always fatal brain disorder strikes about one person in every million worldwide each year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). CJD results in the brain literally being turned into sponge-like, hole-filled tissue (the reason the disease is also known as spongiform encephalopathy ). It usually runs a rapid course, causing failing memory, hallucinations, lack of coordination and visual disturbances followed by total mental deterioration, involuntary movements, blindness and coma. Although some cases are known to be caused by eating meat containing mad cow disease-causing infectious prions, by far the most common form of the illness is known as sporadic CJD. The NINDS says sporadic CJD accounts for at least 85 percent of the cases. Supposedly, sporadic CJD just strikes out of the blue for no particular reason. But Spanish scientists say they’ve found compelling and disturbing evidence that people are infected with the disease during operations. “Based on the monitoring records of spongiform encephalopathy in two Nordic countries, we studied the possibility of transmission of the sporadic form of CJD through general surgery,” Jesus de Pedro, main author of the study and head of prion monitoring in patients at the National Epidemiology Center of the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid, said in a statement to the press. The research team’s study, just published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry , came to this startling conclusion: the sporadic form of CJD strikes after a person has surgery — usually at least 20 years after an operation. The data suggests, Dr. DePedro stated, the disease enters and spreads much more quickly within the central or peripheral nervous system due to surgical procedures. So what makes this evidence so strong — and why hasn’t anyone noticed a clear surgery/CJD association before now? According to the authors of the new study, the key to finding the surgery and CJD connection was computerized surgery records kept in hospitals in Sweden and Denmark since the early l970s. These records allowed the researchers to see if people who had developed CJD had been surgery patients in past decades. With virtually no exceptions, they had been. Bottom line: the new findings point to an external and preventable cause for so-called sporadic CJD. It also raises the question about the true causes of other mind robbing maladies. “It may signify a shift in our understanding of the nature of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” the research team stated. “We might, therefore, ask ourselves if other types of motor neuron diseases can be transmitted through surgery and be latent for decades, such as those where risk factors, particularly physical professions and activities or certain sporting activities, for example, which are more likely to lead to surgery, have already been indicated.” For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20547628 http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/detail_cjd.htm

Next Page »