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Fish makes infants less vulnerable to allergies

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

According to a study published in Acta Paediatrica, feeding fish to infants under the age of nine months lowers their chances of developing preschool wheeze and asthma. At the same time, treatments based on broad spectrum antibiotics increase the risk of wheezing, asthma…

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Fish makes infants less vulnerable to allergies

Natural cranberry juice more effective than pills for fighting infections

Health Blogger — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A new study from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts confirms that natural cranberry juice is more effective in fighting infections than pills containing concentrated doses of the flavonoids found in cranberries. The study published in the Food…

Proteins, not sugar, increase energy expenditure

Health Blogger — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A study published in the November issue of the science journal Neuron subverts the commonly held belief that consuming sugar can make you feel more energetic. Researchers at the University of Cambridge reveal that protein is responsible for activating cells that keep…

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Proteins, not sugar, increase energy expenditure

Study shows selenium may protect against pancreatic cancer

Health Blogger — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

High levels of selenium in the body appear to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in December 2011 in Gut, the journal of the British Society of Gastroenterology. Pancreatic cancer is particularly lethal. It tends to be diagnosed only…

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Study shows selenium may protect against pancreatic cancer

Lack of vitamin D can lead to diabetes, study finds

Health Blogger — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) The array of undiscovered health benefits afforded by high vitamin D intake is vast thanks to several new studies linking deficiency in this important hormone to diabetes. One study published in the journal Diabetes Care explains that a simple 25 nanomole per liter (nmol/L), or 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), increase in blood levels of vitamin D results in a roughly 24 percent reduction in diabetes risk, while another study similarly reveals a correlation between high blood levels of vitamin D and reduced risk of diabetes. Dr. Ken Sikaris and his colleague Zhong Lu, both of which are pathologists at Melbourne Pathology in Australia, tested the blood levels of 5,200 participants as part of their research. After accounting for more than ten outside risk factors that may affect outcomes, the duo found that participants with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a significantly reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest levels. “It’s hard to underestimate how important this could be,” said Dr. Sikaris concerning the findings, inferring that vitamin D is an essential weapon in the fight against diabetes. In a related study, physician Anastassios Pittas from Tufts University evaluated 2,039 people with high blood sugar levels as part of her three year study, and found that every 12.5 nmol/L (5 ng/mL) increase in vitamin D levels resulted in an eight percent decreased risk of developing diabetes. Participants with the highest third of vitamin D levels, above 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL), were also 38 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those in the lowest third, which averaged 32 nmol/L (13 ng/mL). “There are indications that vitamin D is of importance in glucose metabolism, and that supplementation with vitamin D may increase both insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity,” writes a report at ClinicalTrials.gov in response to this and other vitamin D research. The Vitamin D Council maintains that healthy blood levels of vitamin D fall between 125 – 200 nmol/L (50 – 80 ng/mL), which can be achieved through regular sunlight exposure and supplementation with vitamin D3. To learn more, visit: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org Sources for this story include: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/health/lack-of-vitamin-d-in-blood-increases-risk-of-diabetes-study-shows-20110725-1hx02.html http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/8/prweb8719940.htm

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Lack of vitamin D can lead to diabetes, study finds

High fructose corn syrup contaminated with mercury and made using a toxic chemical catalyst that can burn a hole in your stomach

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used as a sweetener in thousands of mainstream packaged foods sold in the United States and around the world, from bread to soda and even breakfast cereal. It has been blamed for increasing the number of empty calories in the U.S. diet, and researchers have linked it to type-2 diabetes and obesity. Beyond the link to detrimental health effects, another danger from this ubiquitous ingredient comes from the toxic chemicals that are used to turn corn into corn starch and then finally into HFCS. One of these chemicals, glutaraldehyde , is a toxic chemical used in industrial water treatment systems and to sterilize medical equipment by killing living cells. It’s also a well-known embalming chemical. It is toxic to the human body and causes eye, nose, throat and lung irritation (asthma, sneezing, wheezing, burning eyes, etc.). It can also cause drowsiness, dizziness and headaches. (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/glutaraldehyde/) The chemical is so toxic that it can actually burn a hole in your stomach . As explained on this Material Safety Data Sheet (http://www.tedpella.com/msds_html/18411msd.htm): “Due to the severely irritating or corrosive nature of the material, swallowing may lead to ulceration and inflammation of the upper dimentary tract with hemorrhage and fluid loss. Also, perforation of the esophagus or stomach may occur, leading to mediastinitis or peritonitis and the resultant complications. Any material aspirated during vomiting may cause lung injury. Therefore, emesis should not be induced mechanically or pharmacologically. If it is considered necessary to evacuate the stomach contents, this should be done by means least likely to cause aspiration (e.g., gastric lavage after endotracheal intubation).” Contaminated with mercury Because two of the chemicals used in HFCS production introduce mercury into the mix, a study published in 2009 found that between one-third and one-half of all HFCS-containing products on the market tested positive for mercury contamination . (http://www.naturalnews.com/025442_HFCS_Corn_Refiners_Association.html). The presence of mercury in high fructose corn syrup was documented by researchers at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and published in Environmental Health . In some cases, the level of mercury was high enough that a woman eating an average amount of HFCS as represented in the American diet could ingest more than five times the maximum recommended upper limit of mercury. The bottom line? If you love eating a highly-refined liquid sugar made with the use of hazardous chemicals and often contaminated with brain-damaging mercury, eat more high fructose corn syrup! You’ll find it in thousands of common grocery items, including ones you wouldn’t expect such as salad dressings, beef jerky and pizza sauce. Look for it on the label and avoid all foods made with HFCS. Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food , authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what’s really in it! Download the full report (FREE) by clicking here . Inside, you’ll learn 24 more amazing but true facts about foods, beverages and food ingredients. Instant download of the complete PDF. All 25 facts are documented and true. Additional sources for this story include: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutaraldehyde http://www.slate.com/id/2216796/ http://blog.friendseat.com/is-there-mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup/ http://www.naturalnews.com/025442_HFCS_Corn_Refiners_Association.html

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High fructose corn syrup contaminated with mercury and made using a toxic chemical catalyst that can burn a hole in your stomach

GSK study suggests its antidepressant drugs cause suicidal tendencies

Health Blogger — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) A new study released by drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) suggests that its very own antidepressant drug Paxil (paroxetine) is linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies among adult patients. The findings appear to confirm those of previous studies and cases that have linked selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like Paxil to suicides, suicide attempts, and even murders (http://www.naturalnews.com/019342.html). Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry , the GSK study reveals a nearly sevenfold increase in suicide attempts among those taking Paxil versus those taking a placebo. In clinical trials, 0.34 percent of participants taking Paxil attempted suicide, while only 0.05 percent of those taking a placebo did. Besides increasing the risk of suicidal tendencies, a GSK study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in early 2010 showed that Paxil does not even appear to work as intended in patients with varying levels depression (http://www.naturalnews.com/027962_Paxil_antidepressants.html). Combine this with the fact that Paxil technically makes depression symptoms worse by causing more suicides and suicide attempts, and you are left asking how or why this drug ended up on the market in the first place. GSK has known since at least 2006 that Paxil is linked to increased suicide risk, and yet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to allow the ineffective, harmful drug to remain on the market. Sure, the agency has upped its warning labels over the years, but based on the drug’s safety and performance record, is there any legitimate reason for it to even be on the market in the first place? The FDA first modified warning labels for Paxil in 2004 after suicide rates among children taking the drug was found to be twice as high as it was among those not taking Paxil. In 2006, the FDA extended the warning to include adults up to age 25. Today, the drug carries a “black box” warning for everyone that says it may increase risk of suicide. A 2009 study published in the online journal PLoS One revealed that among 832 different drugs, which represent 99 percent of the total suicide-related events reported in the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), Paxil was the worst of all. Among the 27,012 adverse events reported for suicide attempts between 2004 and 2008, 1,323, or 4.9 percent, were linked to Paxil (http://www.plosone.org/article/info2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007312). Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/31/us-suicidal-thoughts-antidepressants-idUSTRE72U4EW20110331

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GSK study suggests its antidepressant drugs cause suicidal tendencies

Published review highlights lack of proper GMO safety studies in scientific journals

Health Blogger — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) A recent study published in the journal Environment International has found that within the body of published literature on genetically-modified organisms (GMO), there exists almost an equal number of both studies suggesting they are safe and identical to natural varieties, and studies suggesting they are questionable and even dangerous. And among those studies that claim GMOs to be safe, the vast majority are funded by biotechnology companies that either produce the involved GMOs, or have a vested interest in their promotion. Jose Domingo and Jordi Gine Bordonaba from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health conducted a review of available published GMO studies in databases like PubMed and Scopus. They found that the overall number of studies involving GMOs has increased since 2006 when the group last conducted an investigation. But such studies tend to focus mainly on corn and soy, two of the most widely propagated GMO crops, and were largely conducted by the biotechnology companies that created them. Though all the reviewed studies were published in credible, peer-reviewed journals, both sides of the GMO debate are represented, which raises an interesting and obvious point about the credibility of the peer-review process in general. And interestingly, some authors of the studies that proposed GMOs to be as safe as conventional varieties have since expressed concern about the limited findings of their studies, suggesting that additional long-term reviews be conducted to verify without a doubt that GMOs are safe for human consumption. One study published in 2009 in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition actually cites animal toxicity studies in which GMOs inflicted organ and other bodily damage, including hepatic, pancreatic, renal and reproductive failures. The same study points to GMOs causing increases in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1 levels), a protein implicated in causing cancer (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18989835). Conclusively, the new study demonstrates clearly that there is a lack of solid evidence proving GMOs to be safe. No long-term studies have ever been conducted to prove that GMOs do not cause harm to the environment, to animals, or to humans. On the contrary, there are plenty of independent studies that continue to legitimately question the safety of GMOs, and why they have been allowed into the food supply without proper review. Sources for this story include: http://www.gmwatch.eu/latest-listing/1-news-items/13012-a-literature-review-on-the-safety-assessment-of-gm-plants-new-study

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Published review highlights lack of proper GMO safety studies in scientific journals

Deadly new ‘superbug’ sweeps Southern California hospitals, nursing homes

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) Move over methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), there is a new “superbug” in town. Reports from CBS 2 in Los Angeles say that a deadly new bacteria known as CRKP is rapidly making the rounds in hospitals and care facilities throughout Southern California. According to reports, the bacteria has no known cure, and it may never have one. CRKP, also known as Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, is not actually a new superbug. As early as 2006, it was known to have spread throughout an Israeli hospital, and shortly thereafter to every hospital in Israel (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554704). And now, it is becoming a serious problem worldwide. ABC 7 in Los Angeles quotes its own Dr. Richard Besser who stated that CRKP is “very fatal” and that it kills roughly 40 percent of people who contract it (http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health&id=8034776). And reports indicate that 350 people in the Los Angeles area already became infected with CRKP within a seven-month time frame last year. Some experts are blaming a lack of new antibiotic drug development as the reason why CRKP and other superbugs are allegedly incurable. But inquiry into superbugs has actually revealed that overuse of antibiotics is to blame for their existence in the first place, whether it is humans taking too many antibiotics for minor ailments, or factory farmers giving them to animals to accelerate their growth and cover up filthy, disease-ridden conditions. Last year, a study published in the journal Science revealed that superbugs appear to be the direct descendants of mutated bacteria created as a result of the introduction of synthetic antibiotic drugs. By analyzing the course of mutation of MRSA over the years, scientists were able to pinpoint antibiotics and their overuse as the primary culprit (http://www.naturalnews.com/028479_superbugs_antibiotics.html). When taken by humans, antibiotics actually destroy all the good bacteria in the gut along with the bad, which ends up destroying proper immune function. Without balanced and healthy gut flora, the body is essentially crippled from being able to ward off harmful pathogens, including deadly superbugs (http://www.naturalnews.com/superbugs.html). Sources for this story include: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/24/drug-resistant-super-bug-hits-la-county-hospitals-nursing-homes/

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Deadly new ‘superbug’ sweeps Southern California hospitals, nursing homes

Genetic testing proves antioxidants prevent, treat cancer

Health Blogger — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

(NaturalNews) The role of antioxidants in improving health has been a popular topic of study in recent years, as researchers continue to learn how the scavenging of free radicals and reduction in oxidative stress brought about by antioxidants helps prevent a variety of diseases. Now, a new study published in the journal Cancer Biology and Therapy provides actual genetic evidence that antioxidants are crucial in stopping tumor growth and fighting cancer. Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cancer biology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and his colleagues, found genetic proof that a certain type of oxidative stress that antioxidants work to prevent is responsible for driving tumor growth. As a result, the use of antioxidants in cancer treatments is highly effective, they say. Lisanti and his team constructed a scientific model to assess how cells react under oxidative stress, and how antioxidants affect this process. They discovered that oxidative stress, and the resulting process of autophagy, or cell component degradation, directly fuels tumor growth. But antioxidants stop this cancer-feeding oxidative process directly. “Antioxidants have been associated with cancer reducing effects — beta carotene, for example — but the mechanisms, the genetic evidence, has been lacking,” explained Lisanti. “This study provides the necessary genetic evidence that reducing oxidative stress in the body will decrease tumor growth.” In 2008, a study published in the journal Science revealed specifically how antioxidants interfere with cancer call communication by both halting and reversing their growth and spread throughout the body. Like the new study, it revealed that antioxidants like N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) eliminate toxins, boost immunity, and fight cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/024447_cancer_antioxidants_antioxidant.html). “Now that we have genetic proof that oxidative stress and resulting autophagy are important for driving tumor growth, we should reconsider using antioxidants … as anti-cancer agents,” added Lisanti. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/tju-jrp021011.php

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Genetic testing proves antioxidants prevent, treat cancer