Soda consumption linked to teen violence, study finds

(NaturalNews) A new study has found that teenagers who consume high amounts of sugary soda appear to be more prone towards violence than teenagers who consume less or no sugary soda. The more soda a teenager consumes, in other words, the more likely he or she is to show violent aggression towards classmates, a significant other, and even family members. David Hemenway, a professor at Harvard University’s School of Public, and his colleagues instructed a group of 1,878 public school students from inner-city Boston to fill out questionnaires about how much soda they had consumed in the previous seven days. The questionnaires also asked the students how often they carried weapons, consumed alcohol, smoked, and had a violent interaction with another person. The students, who ranged in age between 14 and 18, also answered other background questions about how often they ate meals with their families, and their race. After compiling the data and accounting for other outside factors, the research team discovered that soda intake was directly proportional to violence levels. “What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings,” said Hemenway. “It was shocking to us when we saw how clear the relationship was.” The results showed that students who drank one or no cans of sugary soda a week were nearly half as likely as students who drank 14 cans a week to carry a gun or knife to school. The one or no soda group was also about half as likely to commit violence against a partner, or show violent aggression against peers, compared to the high-consumption group. “We don’t know why (there is a strong association),” added Hemenway. “There may be some causal effect but it’s also certainly plausible that this is just a marker for other problems — that kids who are violent for whatever reason, they tend to smoke more, they tend to drink more alcohol and they tend to maybe drink more soft drinks. We just don’t know.” Sources for this article include: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.a78af65cc128f522f558eaa64f38258c.3d1&show_article=1

Melatonin plays an important role in healthy digestive and immune function

(NaturalNews) Melatonin is known as the regulator of the sleep wake cycle in the body. It is produced in the pineal gland of the brain and monitors sleep cycles while playing an important role in healing and anti-oxidant protection. New indicators are showing that it may play an even more important regulatory role in the digestive system. The human digestive system is considered by many experts to be the ’2nd Brain,’ due to its ability to produce neurotransmitters. Additionally, the digestive system works off of similar rhythmic patterns as brain waves and has an advanced communication network that rivals that of the brain. The hormone melatonin appears to play a very important role in regulating much of these patterns in both the brain and gut. The amount of melatonin in the digestive system is 400 fold greater than the pineal gland. Melatonin is produced in specialized cells called enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract. This super hormone is present in all segments of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the pancreas and liver. The mucosal membranes of the gut are packed with microbes. Most of these have a symbiotic relationship with the host individual. This inner world of thriving bacteria exudes endotoxins throughout the day. When the level of endotoxins reaches a critical mass concentration, it triggers an immune response led by cytokine interleukin-2. Sleep is thought to be that immune response. This sleep cycle begins with the production of melatonin from the pineal gland. In the middle of the night, the hormone prolactin is secreted in large amounts. These two hormones promote an immune reaction that thins out the microflora in an attempt to restore a healthy balance. This process also targets viruses, pathogenic bacteria, man-made chemicals and foreign proteins in the body. This entire cycle lasts 8 hours in order for the necessary amount of melatonin and prolactin production to occur. With inadequate sleep, these hormones are unable to effectively enhance immunity enough to clean up the microflora and other toxic debris in the gastrointestinal system. Each night of poor sleep cripples the immune system and leads to disabled T cell and natural killer cell formation. Within the gut, melatonin is an important regulator of motility and inflammation. It modulates inflammation with its ability to control free-radicals and proinflammatory molecules through its powerful anti-oxidant function. Additionally, it influences intestinal bacteria and T-helper cell formation. Healthy gut bacteria and T-helper cells help to balance the immune system and to regulate inflammatory levels. Melatonin is known to help improve microcirculation throughout the gut which helps foster epithelial regeneration. Additionally, it preserves glutathione levels and prevents lysosomal enzyme disruption. This is especially important because increased inflammatory levels in the bowel lead to leaky gut syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, auto-immunity, etc. When we sleep, the brain produces 90 minute cycles of slow wave sleep. This is then followed by periods of rapid eye movement (REM) during which dreams occur. During the night, the gut also produces 90 minute slow wave muscle contractions which are followed by short burst of rapid movement. When the gut is full at night, it can disrupt this process. Additionally, poor sleep cycles can dramatically affect digestive function and the healing process within the gut. Melatonin was shown to significantly reduce the degree of proinflammatory cytokine release, cell apoptosis, and overall colonic injury. This is due to the improved blood flow, immunomodulation and anti-oxidant effects. It is clear that sleep and digestive function have a very intimate relationship and confer this relationship into the overall function of the immune system. http://minochahealth.typepad.com/gut/melatonin-colitis-gut-function-inflammation.html http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/169 http://www.pointofreturn.com/gut_health.html http://www.naturalnews.com/026191_sleep_cancer_body.html

Vitamin D levels appear to be associated with risk of skin cancer, although relationship is complex

As an individual’s level of vitamin D increases, the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer seems to increase as well, although factors such as ultraviolet radiation exposure may complicate the relationship, according to a new report.

Does being exposed to too much estrogen lead to high blood pressure?

(NaturalNews) Contrary to widely-held belief, sustained high levels of estrogen in women via hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not necessarily a good thing, as the hormone can create excess amounts of superoxide compound in the brain. According to new research out of Michigan State University (MSU), buildup of superoxide leads to blockages in the areas of the brain that regulate blood pressure, which has led researchers to conclude that estrogen may be directly responsible for high blood pressure and resultant heart disease. Published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology , the study, led by P.S. Mohan Kumar and his team, investigated how the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVM) area of the brain stem, which regulates blood pressure, was affected by estrogen. After injecting rats with either estrogen or resveratrol, a beneficial compound known to reduce superoxide levels as well as blood pressure, the team observed that rats given estrogen exhibited heavy buildup of superoxide and increased blood pressure, while resveratrol rats exhibited the opposite effect. “This is an important study on at least two levels,” MohanKumar said. “First, it continues to confirm the negative effect that long-term estrogen exposure has for females. Second, it provides a new rationale for how and why this relationship occurs.” But what the study also shows is that resveratrol, a natural compound found in grape skins, mulberries, and cacao, can help to extend life and maintain overall health during the senior years better than HRT can — and all without raising blood pressure or causing other health problems such as cancer and dementia (http://www.naturalnews.com/HRT_drugs.html). Mounds of research show that resveratrol helps to reverse the aging process and extend lifespan, burn excess fat, prevent dementia and other brain diseases, reduce inflammation and disease, and prevent cancer, among many other things (http://www.naturalnews.com/resveratrol.html). So why take the risk with synthetic HRT drugs when natural resveratrol performs better without any negative side effects? Editor’s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and well-being of all living creatures. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/msu-nss052611.php

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.

The deep psychology behind your health

(NaturalNews) The relationship between psychological health and physical health has long been established. Even most medical doctors today warn against the dangers of mental stress that flows from overwork, chronic family conflict, unhealthy compensating or general maladjustment to the demands of life. This is old news. The intriguing question now is how does this relationship between mental health and physical health function? When you are stressed out, depressed or confused, how does your body react to create a state of less-than-optimal health or even disease? The answer to this question leads us down a slippery slope full of speculation and metaphor. If you’re open minded, however, the ride is not only exhilarating, but enlightening. In a recent conversation with Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com, Mike shocked me with the following: “Cancer is a natural process that gets out of control. When you cut your skin and it begins to heal, those cells are involved in a cancer-like process. They know how to divide, grow and heal. But, they also know when to stop growing. Otherwise, you would end up with a giant growth out of your arm or wherever you cut yourself. The same is true when a woman is pregnant. The cells of the fetus are involved in a cancer-like process, a very rapid division and growth in an organized way.” Here is the fascinating piece: Cancerous tumors, when removed from the body, sometimes contain hair, teeth and organs. They don’t tell people that a cancer cell in the body tries to become a whole person. Think about that for a minute. After conception, you have a single, fertilized egg. If the conditions are right, it develops into a person. That is the way it is supposed to work. But, when you have a cancer tumor in the body, it “decides” it wants to be a whole person, too. It doesn’t want to be a specialized cell, playing a small role in a larger body. It wants to be a whole body and it does not have any plans to stop dividing and spreading. What to do with this information? Consider your life. Do you know who you are and what you stand for? Do you meander through life, confused and afraid to make strong decisions? Do you live in a house divided, with internal conflict eating at you day and night? When you lie down to sleep, are you at peace or are you harangued by stray thoughts that clutter your mind? Good psychological health implies clear values, the ability to access a state of inner calm, healthy personal boundaries (knowing your limits, when to say yes vs. no) and a general, pervasive feeling of well-being and certainty in this uncertain world. These and other essential mental health resources are fundamental. Life requires them at a minimum. Those who do not naturally possess or consciously dev elop these essentials of healthy character are at a distinct disadvantage in the social realm. Are they also exposed to greater health risks? The most compelling logic suggests that, yes, they are. Imagine for a moment that your mind and body, craving the clarity, calm and certainty that comes with solid mental health and a low-stress way of being, is just not getting what it needs. Lacking direction, it lives in a state of chronic confusion, conflict and anxiety. Doesn’t it make sense that some part of you at some point takes matters into its own hands? Might that entail an attempt to develop new parts of you, given the current lack of resources? Witnessing the hair, teeth and partial organs contained in a cancerous tumor validates this logic in a very unsettling way. The moral of the story: Put real effort into your mental health! Learn to be clear, honest and certain. Know who you are and what you stand for. Develop effective communication skills and the capacity for inner peace. Give your mind and body what it needs and it won’t have a reason to rebel.

How sunlight may reduce the severity of multiple sclerosis

New research into the neurodegenerative disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) offers new insight into the link between sunlight, vitamin D3, and MS risk and severity. The research studies the relationship between the sunlight-dependent vitamin D3 hormone, immune cells, and the risk and severity of autoimmunity in an experimental model.

Homeopathy for children’s emotional health

(NaturalNews) Most parents would never think of giving a child Valium or Prozac. We know their physical bodies are too delicate, but their emotional life is also very delicate. Yet they are subject to much of the same stresses as adults and need safe remedies to help support their nervous systems. Homeopathy is the fastest growing over-the-counter therapy in the United States and its remedies provide a therapy that can spare them needless emotional suffering in an effective and harmless form. We are living in an age where drugs are given to children like candy. However, as parents, you can use homeopathy to help balance you child’s emotional distress so they will never have to be experimented on with harmful drugs. Here is an overview of homeopathic remedies for your child’s emotional health. The dosage for these remedies is 6X or 12X. Homeopathic remedies come as lactose pellets or in liquid drops. They are taken 2-3 times a day for several days. If they don’t seem to be working after several days, stop the drops and try another one. Anger Chamomile is for finicky anger. The child is fine one moment and angry the next. Lachesis is for the anger of jealousy. This child is critical, suspicious, contradictory and oversensitive. Natrum mur is for the child who is very sensitive and gets angry and bursts into tears at any imagined slight. Nux vomica is used for great irritability which leads to headaches and stomach upsets with great sensitivity to noises, bright lights and smells. Staphasagria is for suppressed anger and humiliation causing headaches. Anxiety Children express a particular type of anxiety that can be called acute anticipation. Aconite is for chronic fright and fearfulness. Calc carb is for children who overwork and overload themselves with tasks and anticipate problems. Gelsemium is for acute anticipation or for a child who has never felt well since a particular frightful event. Lycopodium is for children who will do anything to avoid humiliation and embarrassment or who have not been well since such an event. Silicea is for children who fear that they will not have enough energy and constantly moan and whine that they are unable to get things done. Hyperactivity This condition is often misdiagnosed in a child who is just too bright and active for the adult caregivers in charge. It may be due to food allergies, too much sugar in the diet or lack of attention and discipline. Argentum nitricum is used for the hyperactive child with a sweet tooth. The child seems to have a high metabolic rate and is thin, pale, anxious and can’t sit still. Calc phos is suited to the child who likes to play pranks but is still shy and afraid. Physically there are swollen tonsils and abdominal gas. Chamomilla is used to calm the excessively agitated child who cannot sit still for one minute and literally wears himself out to the point of tears. Kali bromatum is for the case of the child who is constantly using his hands in some form and cannot keep them still. Lycopodium is used for the child who is exhausted but still can’t sit still. There is irritability and restlessness, mostly around dinnertime, and lots of gastric distress. Stramonium is used for a severe case of hyperactivity with violence. There is a characteristic loud and frenetic speech pattern. Lack of Confidence The following are constitutional remedies that are given to restore lost confidence in a child. As the parent or caregiver you may work with a homeopathic doctor on the treatment of these difficult issues. Anacardium is for lack of confidence due to abuse or physical humiliation. The child becomes hard and cold, has no feeling and may become emotionally cold and viokent. Gelsemium is for poor confidence due to anticipatory anxiety, weakness, illness or fright. Lycopodium is for poor confidence due to fear of being in public, having been embarrassed in the past. Natrum mur is for fear of being rejected. Staphasagria is for poor confidence due to being humiliated. There is deep anger but the child will do anything to please. Sadness Children get sad for many of the same reasons that adults do. The following remedies can treat the effects of a loss in the family due to death of a family member including the family pet, for separation due to illness or divorce or for disappointment. Aurum is for the loss of a very close relative to whom the child was extremely attached. When this relationship is lost, the child feels there is nothing to live for. Ignatia is for acute, sudden, overwhelming, shocking grief; the child can’t understand and can’t believe what has happened. Natrum mur is for a child who is emotionally open and whose heart is broken. At that point she gets stuck there and shuts down emotionally and becomes both guilty and resentful. Phosphoric acid is for treating a big grief. The child has emotional and physical symptoms of loss of energy, debility and apathy. Pulsatilla is for abandonment with grief and sadness and gentle weeping. Excerpted from Dr. Carolyn Dean’s Future Health Now Encyclopedia eBook at www.drcarolyndean.com

Doctors warn that using Facebook can cause asthma attacks

(NaturalNews) The social networking site Facebook is causing a new wave of physical and mental health problems, say researchers from Italy. According to their analysis, scientists say that Facebook has become “a new source of psychological stress” that is capable of inducing asthma attacks, particularly in those with preexisting asthmatic conditions. Published in the British medical journal Lancet , the study cites the case of an 18-year-old man who experienced severe asthmatic symptoms due to using Facebook. After discovering that his ex-girlfriend had removed him from her “friends” list and moved on from the relationship, the man began having breathing problems, followed by an asthma attack. And every time he logged on and tried to pry his way back into her life, the symptoms returned. “The [experience] seemed to induce dyspnea, which happened repeatedly on the patient accessing [his ex-girlfriend's] profile,” said doctors about the experience. Dyspnea, a condition in which a person experiences difficulty in breathing, can be aggravated by various life occurrences. But in the man from the study, his “peak expiratory flow” of air dropped by as much as 20 percent after using Facebook, which suggests that using the site can be hazardous to health. Doctors say the best way to avoid Facebook-induced asthma attacks is to simply stop using the site. In fact, with the help of his psychologist, the man in the study was able to successfully stop logging in — and his asthma attacks then stopped as well. The nature of Facebook encourages users to essentially broadcast every detail of their entire lives to their friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, and even complete strangers. But the widespread negative effects of this massive new social experiment are only just beginning to be realized. Sources for this story include: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-heb-facebook-induced-asthma-attacks-20101118,0,6038607.story

Be careful or you might catch obesity, suggests new study

(NaturalNews) A new report published in the journal Pediatrics has many common sense folks scratching their heads in confusion. Childhood obesity has become a major problem with more than 17 percent of American children now overweight, and most people realize that poor diet and lack of exercise are to blame. But a new study has somehow linked a flu-related antibody to being overweight, suggesting that it may be possible to actually “catch” obesity from an obese person. According to the report, children who have been exposed to “adenovirus 36″ (AD36), a common cause of respiratory and eye infections in humans, are apparently more likely to be fat than children who have never been exposed. Researchers came to this conclusion by sampling 124 children, in which 22 percent of those who were overweight had antibodies from AD36 in their bodies as opposed to only seven percent among those who were of a normal weight. From this, they concluded that the antibody must play some role in causing obesity. Such reasoning, of course, is absolutely ridiculous because every medical professional knows that correlation does not imply causation, especially when it takes an extreme stretch of the imagination to make a connection, particularly one between a virus and obesity. But this fact did not stop the team from suggesting that obesity may be caused by a virus. The study conclusion actually states that “these data support an association of obesity and higher body weight with the presence of neutralizing antibodies to AD36 in children”, and that “[i]f a cause-and-effect relationship is established, it would have considerable implications for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.” Common sense studies like those that find a direct causative relationship between vitamin D intake and the prevention of disease are often immediately ridiculed with that all-too-popular and overused phrase “correlation does not imply causation”, but when researchers concoct a study that suggests that obesity is a contagious disease, it gets enough credible nods from the medical community to actually be published in a reputable journal. The study actually suggests the virus is not related to obesity, but who cares about the facts If you actually take a look at the study for yourself, you will see that the data actually does not imply a connection between AD36 antibodies and obesity. Four of the 19 children in the study who had the antibodies were not even overweight and the majority of overweight children in the study did not have the antibodies at all. So why did researchers look at the numbers in such a way as to make a connection? Well, the primary objective of the study was to “assess the relationship between adenovirus 36 (AD36)-specific antibodies and obesity in children.” In other words, the goal was to find a relationship between the two, even if no such relationship actually exists, and the researchers did just that. The interesting thing about the study is that, while researchers admitted that no clear cause-and-effect relationship actually exists between AD36 antibodies and obesity, they suggest that further research may eventually determine this and lead to the development of “prevention and treatment” interventions for the “disease”. So what’s next, a childhood obesity vaccine? It most likely will not be long before another similar study is released that claims childhood obesity is a contagious disease that requires treatment. Drug companies will then develop preventive drugs for normal-weight children, just in case they happen to come in contact with someone who has the fat virus. And of course they will produce treatments for obese children as well. The drugs will allegedly fight the antibodies that cause obesity and help children to attain a healthy weight without having to stop eating junk food and drinking sodas. What could be better for both the corporate food industry and Big Pharma? Who knows, the medical establishment may just develop an obesity vaccine that they say will prevent everyone from getting fat. Children will be required to get the vaccine before being permitted to go to school, of course, because they could spread the obesity virus to their classmates. And many parents will immediately jump onboard because if the doctors recommend it, then it must be good! As ridiculous as this all sounds, such a scenario is more likely than you might think. Modern “science” continues to waste millions of dollars on studies that pretend that all modern ills are caused by bad genes, dangerous viruses and mutant bacterias that only drugs can treat. They would rather have you forget about genetically modified foods, mercury in vaccines, fluoride in water, BPA in plastics, toxins in household products, chemical additives and preservatives in personal care products, poor diet, lack of physical exercise and every other thing that actually contributes to bad health. In truth, obesity is not contagious, but there is something dangerous that continues to spread like an epidemic: really bad science reporting in the mainstream media and a gullible population that continues to listen to it. Sources for this story include: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/infectious-diseases/articles/2010/09/20/is-child-obesity-an-infectious-disease.html http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-3362v1

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