I like this doctor's approach - refreshing ...
" encourage patients to list and build upon the good influences on their lives and their personal strengths, focus on their major concern, relax with closed eyes and receive internal suggestions of the most promising next step to take, select the best one, take that step, discover real life consequences, and 90% get better. The other 10% soon sensed they were heading in the wrong direction, suddenly knew what step they should have taken, took it, and could hardly believe the good outcome. Could not wait to take the next step -- whether pleasant or not. Could enjoy the pleasant, and the unpleasant taught them a valuable lesson that immediatly brought such great good it seemed too good to be true, but time told it was true."
Dr Richard W Biek, MD, MPH,
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
The real reason you have back pain...?
Found this in an interesting article from Jonah Lehrer (jonahlehrer.com):
"Back pain is an epidemic. The numbers are sobering: There’s an 80 percent chance that, at some point in your life, you’ll suffer from it. At any given time, about 10 percent of Americans are completely incapacitated by their lumbar regions, which is why back pain is the second most frequent reason people seek medical care, after general checkups. And all this treatment is expensive: According to a recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Americans spend nearly $90 billion every year treating back pain, which is roughly equivalent to what we spend on cancer.
When doctors began encountering a surge in patients with lower back pain in the mid-20th century, they had few explanations. The lower back is an exquisitely complicated area of the body, full of small bones, ligaments, spinal discs, and minor muscles. Then there’s the spinal cord itself, a thick cable of nerves that can be easily disturbed. There are so many moving parts in the back that doctors had difficulty figuring out what, exactly, was causing a person’s pain. As a result, patients were typically sent home with a prescription for bed rest.
This treatment plan, though simple, was still extremely effective. Even when nothing was done to the lower back, about 90 percent of people with back pain got better within six weeks. The body healed itself, the inflammation subsided, the nerve relaxed.
Over the next few decades, this hands-off approach to back pain remained the standard medical treatment. That all changed, however, with the introduction of magnetic resonance imaging in the late 1970s. These diagnostic machines use powerful magnets to generate stunningly detailed images of the body’s interior. Within a few years, the MRI machine became a crucial diagnostic tool.
The view afforded by MRI led to a new causal story: Back pain was the result of abnormalities in the spinal discs, those supple buffers between the vertebrae. The MRIs certainly supplied bleak evidence: Back pain was strongly correlated with seriously degenerated discs, which were in turn thought to cause inflammation of the local nerves. Consequently, doctors began administering epidurals to quiet the pain, and if it persisted they would surgically remove the damaged disc tissue.
But the vivid images were misleading. It turns out that disc abnormalities are typically not the cause of chronic back pain. The presence of such abnormalities is just as likely to be correlated with the absence of back problems, as a 1994 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed. The researchers imaged the spinal regions of 98 people with no back pain. The results were shocking: Two-thirds of normal patients exhibited “serious problems” like bulging or protruding tissue. In 38 percent of these patients, the MRI revealed multiple damaged discs. Nevertheless, none of these people were in pain. The study concluded that, in most cases, “the discovery of a bulge or protrusion on an MRI scan in a patient with low back pain may frequently be coincidental.”
Similar patterns appear in a new study by James Andrews, a sports medicine orthopedist. He scanned the shoulders of 31 professional baseball pitchers. Their MRIs showed that 90 percent of them had abnormal cartilage, a sign of damage that would typically lead to surgery. Yet they were all in perfect health.
This is not the way things are supposed to work. We assume that more information will make it easier to find the cause, that seeing the soft tissue of the back will reveal the source of the pain, or at least some useful correlations. Unfortunately, that often doesn’t happen. Our habits of visual conclusion-jumping take over. All those extra details end up confusing us; the more we know, the less we seem to understand.
The only solution for this mental flaw is to deliberately ignore a wealth of facts, even when the facts seem relevant. This is what’s happening with the treatment of back pain: Doctors are now encouraged to not order MRIs when making diagnoses. The latest clinical guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society strongly recommended that doctors “not routinely obtain imaging or other diagnostic tests in patients with nonspecific low back pain.”
(However, most GPs and even specialists in the UK dont seem to know this!)
Chronic back pain remains a mystery. While doctors have long assumed that there’s a valid correlation between pain and physical artifacts—a herniated disc, a sheared muscle, a pinched nerve—there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting the role of seemingly unrelated factors. For instance, a recent study published in the journal Spine concluded that minor physical trauma had virtually no relationship with disabling pain. Instead, the researchers found that a small subset of “nonspinal factors,” such as depression and smoking, were most closely associated with episodes of serious pain. We keep trying to fix the back, but perhaps the back isn’t what needs fixing. Perhaps we’re searching for causes in the wrong place.
The same confusion afflicts so many of our most advanced causal stories. Hormone replacement therapy was supposed to reduce the risk of heart attack in postmenopausal women—estrogen prevents inflammation in blood vessels—but a series of recent clinical trials found that it did the opposite, at least among older women. (Estrogen therapy was also supposed to ward off Alzheimer’s, but that doesn’t seem to work, either.) We were told that vitamin D supplements prevented bone loss in people with multiple sclerosis and that vitamin E supplements reduced cardiovascular disease—neither turns out to be true."
Contributing editor Jonah Lehrer (jonahlehrer.com) is the author of the forthcoming book Imagine: How Creativity Works.
"Back pain is an epidemic. The numbers are sobering: There’s an 80 percent chance that, at some point in your life, you’ll suffer from it. At any given time, about 10 percent of Americans are completely incapacitated by their lumbar regions, which is why back pain is the second most frequent reason people seek medical care, after general checkups. And all this treatment is expensive: According to a recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Americans spend nearly $90 billion every year treating back pain, which is roughly equivalent to what we spend on cancer.
When doctors began encountering a surge in patients with lower back pain in the mid-20th century, they had few explanations. The lower back is an exquisitely complicated area of the body, full of small bones, ligaments, spinal discs, and minor muscles. Then there’s the spinal cord itself, a thick cable of nerves that can be easily disturbed. There are so many moving parts in the back that doctors had difficulty figuring out what, exactly, was causing a person’s pain. As a result, patients were typically sent home with a prescription for bed rest.
This treatment plan, though simple, was still extremely effective. Even when nothing was done to the lower back, about 90 percent of people with back pain got better within six weeks. The body healed itself, the inflammation subsided, the nerve relaxed.
Over the next few decades, this hands-off approach to back pain remained the standard medical treatment. That all changed, however, with the introduction of magnetic resonance imaging in the late 1970s. These diagnostic machines use powerful magnets to generate stunningly detailed images of the body’s interior. Within a few years, the MRI machine became a crucial diagnostic tool.
The view afforded by MRI led to a new causal story: Back pain was the result of abnormalities in the spinal discs, those supple buffers between the vertebrae. The MRIs certainly supplied bleak evidence: Back pain was strongly correlated with seriously degenerated discs, which were in turn thought to cause inflammation of the local nerves. Consequently, doctors began administering epidurals to quiet the pain, and if it persisted they would surgically remove the damaged disc tissue.
But the vivid images were misleading. It turns out that disc abnormalities are typically not the cause of chronic back pain. The presence of such abnormalities is just as likely to be correlated with the absence of back problems, as a 1994 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed. The researchers imaged the spinal regions of 98 people with no back pain. The results were shocking: Two-thirds of normal patients exhibited “serious problems” like bulging or protruding tissue. In 38 percent of these patients, the MRI revealed multiple damaged discs. Nevertheless, none of these people were in pain. The study concluded that, in most cases, “the discovery of a bulge or protrusion on an MRI scan in a patient with low back pain may frequently be coincidental.”
Similar patterns appear in a new study by James Andrews, a sports medicine orthopedist. He scanned the shoulders of 31 professional baseball pitchers. Their MRIs showed that 90 percent of them had abnormal cartilage, a sign of damage that would typically lead to surgery. Yet they were all in perfect health.
This is not the way things are supposed to work. We assume that more information will make it easier to find the cause, that seeing the soft tissue of the back will reveal the source of the pain, or at least some useful correlations. Unfortunately, that often doesn’t happen. Our habits of visual conclusion-jumping take over. All those extra details end up confusing us; the more we know, the less we seem to understand.
The only solution for this mental flaw is to deliberately ignore a wealth of facts, even when the facts seem relevant. This is what’s happening with the treatment of back pain: Doctors are now encouraged to not order MRIs when making diagnoses. The latest clinical guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society strongly recommended that doctors “not routinely obtain imaging or other diagnostic tests in patients with nonspecific low back pain.”
(However, most GPs and even specialists in the UK dont seem to know this!)
Chronic back pain remains a mystery. While doctors have long assumed that there’s a valid correlation between pain and physical artifacts—a herniated disc, a sheared muscle, a pinched nerve—there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting the role of seemingly unrelated factors. For instance, a recent study published in the journal Spine concluded that minor physical trauma had virtually no relationship with disabling pain. Instead, the researchers found that a small subset of “nonspinal factors,” such as depression and smoking, were most closely associated with episodes of serious pain. We keep trying to fix the back, but perhaps the back isn’t what needs fixing. Perhaps we’re searching for causes in the wrong place.
The same confusion afflicts so many of our most advanced causal stories. Hormone replacement therapy was supposed to reduce the risk of heart attack in postmenopausal women—estrogen prevents inflammation in blood vessels—but a series of recent clinical trials found that it did the opposite, at least among older women. (Estrogen therapy was also supposed to ward off Alzheimer’s, but that doesn’t seem to work, either.) We were told that vitamin D supplements prevented bone loss in people with multiple sclerosis and that vitamin E supplements reduced cardiovascular disease—neither turns out to be true."
Contributing editor Jonah Lehrer (jonahlehrer.com) is the author of the forthcoming book Imagine: How Creativity Works.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
India Chiropractic Mission
Bangalore Chiropractic was launched on the 25th August and, within 10 days, it’s at 90% capacity!
This is a combination of patients returning to care (since Dr. Sonya’s last visit), and online new patient marketing (the practice website and Choose Natural) which are producing incredible results.
Dr. Nick Beckwith recently relocated from the US to India and started at the clinic earlier this week.
Dr. Sonya and Dr. Nick are seeing a very wide cross-section of patients. Interestingly, traditional back pain and headaches admitting complaints are in the minority! Complaints like ADHD, colic, bed-wetting, breathing problems, dizziness, extremities pain, etc. are more popular.
Alongside paying patients (essential so that the ministry is financially sustainable) the doctors are seeing economically disadvantaged patients… India’s poor surviving on less than $2 per day.
This is a combination of patients returning to care (since Dr. Sonya’s last visit), and online new patient marketing (the practice website and Choose Natural) which are producing incredible results.
Dr. Nick Beckwith recently relocated from the US to India and started at the clinic earlier this week.
Dr. Sonya and Dr. Nick are seeing a very wide cross-section of patients. Interestingly, traditional back pain and headaches admitting complaints are in the minority! Complaints like ADHD, colic, bed-wetting, breathing problems, dizziness, extremities pain, etc. are more popular.
Alongside paying patients (essential so that the ministry is financially sustainable) the doctors are seeing economically disadvantaged patients… India’s poor surviving on less than $2 per day.
Sunday, 29 January 2012
USA stats on work stress
26% of adult Americans report being on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown [2].
40% of workers describe their office environment as “most like a real-life survivor program [3].”
Only 14% of Americans take two weeks or more at a time for vacation [4]. The average American therefore spends more time in the bathroom than on vacation.
61% of Americans check email while on vacation [5].
53% of employees would opt for a personal assistant rather than personal trainer [6].
62% of workers routinely end the day with work-related neck pain, 44% report strained eyes, 38% complain of hand pain, and 34% report difficulty in sleeping due to work-related stress [7].
88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life [8].
70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children [9].
In 2005, a psychiatrist at King’s College in London administered IQ tests to three groups: the first did nothing but perform the IQ test, the second was distracted by e-mail and ringing phones, and the third was stoned on marijuana. Not surprisingly, the first group did better than the other two by an average of 10 points. The e-mailers, on the other hands, did worse than the stoners by an average of 6 points [10].
Unending Workweek Growth and Burnout
40% of workers describe their office environment as “most like a real-life survivor program [3].”
Only 14% of Americans take two weeks or more at a time for vacation [4]. The average American therefore spends more time in the bathroom than on vacation.
61% of Americans check email while on vacation [5].
53% of employees would opt for a personal assistant rather than personal trainer [6].
62% of workers routinely end the day with work-related neck pain, 44% report strained eyes, 38% complain of hand pain, and 34% report difficulty in sleeping due to work-related stress [7].
88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life [8].
70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children [9].
In 2005, a psychiatrist at King’s College in London administered IQ tests to three groups: the first did nothing but perform the IQ test, the second was distracted by e-mail and ringing phones, and the third was stoned on marijuana. Not surprisingly, the first group did better than the other two by an average of 10 points. The e-mailers, on the other hands, did worse than the stoners by an average of 6 points [10].
Unending Workweek Growth and Burnout
funny google german to english translation
The Czech Republic is more than just good beer and Prague. Here live fairy tales and myths, and Rübezahl are small mole at home. Virtually undiscovered by German tourists skiing areas in the Czech Giant Mountains now as a very successful and, above all, attractive recreational destination. In addition to the safe snow, it is primarily the people and their creative ideas that make a vacation in the Czech Republic very nice.
Tanvaldsky Spicák
The mountain and its appearance are the inspiration for the naming of the famous ski resort in the Czech Republic. How much of the tooth extends into the mountain landscape, entwined around the very good roads. This resort is situated near the Saxon border in the middle of the Giant Mountains. The difficulty of the slopes ranges from low to very difficult. Thanks to tow and chair all slopes are very accessible. The proximity to the German border makes a day trip to Spicak easy. Especially for families with children the resort holds some ready. While the parents are on the difficult slopes on the road, the children are cared for in a separate area with its own ski lift for children. I Spicák to your children are safe in the best. Snowboarders also have the opportunity to present their art in a subway train ramp. Recommended are the Nachtskiläufe from Spicák II A day ticket for adults costs to EUR 190
Tanvaldsky Spicák
The mountain and its appearance are the inspiration for the naming of the famous ski resort in the Czech Republic. How much of the tooth extends into the mountain landscape, entwined around the very good roads. This resort is situated near the Saxon border in the middle of the Giant Mountains. The difficulty of the slopes ranges from low to very difficult. Thanks to tow and chair all slopes are very accessible. The proximity to the German border makes a day trip to Spicak easy. Especially for families with children the resort holds some ready. While the parents are on the difficult slopes on the road, the children are cared for in a separate area with its own ski lift for children. I Spicák to your children are safe in the best. Snowboarders also have the opportunity to present their art in a subway train ramp. Recommended are the Nachtskiläufe from Spicák II A day ticket for adults costs to EUR 190
Niacin Flush
B3 Niacin is one of the most powerful detoxifying agents known to man.
I just took 1000mg of niacin first thing, and went bright red, flushed and itchy all over - got worried till I read this:
"Do not panic if you turn red or your heart beats rapidly when you take pure niacin because this is a good sign that your blood is pure and toxins are being removed. Some people take as much as 500-mg. niacin three times a day until they break through their toxins and feel a burn. And the less food you have in your stomach, the quicker the niacin will get into your bloodstream to do its work. While detoxing, begin taking 50 to 100 mg. Niacin and increase by 50 to 100 mg. daily until an immediate flush occurs. Some people get a stomachache when taking niacin on an empty tummy, so judge for yourself what works best for you. Just know it’s removing toxins from your blood.
Remember this general rule of thumb: if you have more toxins than niacin, you may not feel a burn through your skin. As you increase your daily niacin intake, you are increasing the amount of B3 in relation to your toxic load. When you have more niacin than toxins present, you WILL feel the burn within ten to twenty minutes after taking it."
http://www.alternativecancerdiet.com/articles/2004/08/b3_niacin_its_a.html
think I will go and lie down !
ps its nice to feel warm though - its a very cold day here !
I just took 1000mg of niacin first thing, and went bright red, flushed and itchy all over - got worried till I read this:
"Do not panic if you turn red or your heart beats rapidly when you take pure niacin because this is a good sign that your blood is pure and toxins are being removed. Some people take as much as 500-mg. niacin three times a day until they break through their toxins and feel a burn. And the less food you have in your stomach, the quicker the niacin will get into your bloodstream to do its work. While detoxing, begin taking 50 to 100 mg. Niacin and increase by 50 to 100 mg. daily until an immediate flush occurs. Some people get a stomachache when taking niacin on an empty tummy, so judge for yourself what works best for you. Just know it’s removing toxins from your blood.
Remember this general rule of thumb: if you have more toxins than niacin, you may not feel a burn through your skin. As you increase your daily niacin intake, you are increasing the amount of B3 in relation to your toxic load. When you have more niacin than toxins present, you WILL feel the burn within ten to twenty minutes after taking it."
http://www.alternativecancerdiet.com/articles/2004/08/b3_niacin_its_a.html
think I will go and lie down !
ps its nice to feel warm though - its a very cold day here !
Monday, 23 January 2012
Chiropractic and M.E. (Fibromyalgia)
Experiences of chiropractic varied from member to member. Jim has had M.E. for nine years, trying many treatments along the way. “Few have helped but chiropractic is one that does. It certainly is no cure but it does relieve some of my symptoms. I have found that chiropractic treatment really helps to rid me both of the neck stiffness and the pain, which is an absolute delight. The relief is not permanent but can last for weeks and months. I visit about once every three months for one treatment and that seems to do the job. I was very careful selecting my practitioner, opting for one that was gentler and had some genuine understanding of M.E.”
(from Action for ME website)
now available at Parsons Chiropractic - chiropractic in Preston and Liverpool - www.parsons-chiro.co.uk
(from Action for ME website)
now available at Parsons Chiropractic - chiropractic in Preston and Liverpool - www.parsons-chiro.co.uk
Monday, 16 January 2012
does paracetemol cause alzeimers?
according to this article a cancer researcher noticed he would lose his memory when he took paracetemol, so he started researching the link - finding that these painkillers could cause plaques in the brain :
http://www.selfhelp-cancertherapy.com/cancertherapy/jones/paracetemol-02.html
no this one
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/paracetamol.htm
http://www.selfhelp-cancertherapy.com/cancertherapy/jones/paracetemol-02.html
no this one
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/paracetamol.htm
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
latex in fruit and vegetables, omega 3,6, etc
Between 1950 and 1999 nutrients in garden crops
decreased for protein, calcium, phosphorus, Riboflavin
and Vitamin C. Dry eye syndrome in women increases
when omega 6 intake is more than 6 times omega 3.
Latex exposure comes from inhaled auto tires, but
immune system is depressed by eating foods laden
with naturally occurring latex. Nutrient changes
needed as we age are to avoid latex in food, decrease
gluten and omega 6, and replace nutrients not in the
food supply.
Western diets have a net acid load causing metabolic
acidosis that worsens with age as kidney functions
decline. Western diets are also low in B-vitamin and
Thiamine.
Helpful nutrients: Centrum Silver reverses cataracts,
omega 3 fish oil reverses dry eye syndrome, and 80
mg. of zinc oxide lowers mortality.
Western diets contain excess saturated and trans fatty
acids. After 3.5 years taking 850 mg/day omega 3,
subjects with pre-existing cardiovascular disease
reported a 20 percent reduction in mortality, a 45
percent reduction in sudden death, and prevented
many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
The latex chemical problem has increased because
latex is trapped in the plant when picked green to ship,
then latex becomes injury protein when plant or fruit is
treated with ethylene gas as is done in all grocery
warehouses. Symptoms are stiffness, fatigue, aches,
redness on chin, cheeks, ears, and forehead and
burning eyes. Dried, frozen, and canned foods have
less latex.
decreased for protein, calcium, phosphorus, Riboflavin
and Vitamin C. Dry eye syndrome in women increases
when omega 6 intake is more than 6 times omega 3.
Latex exposure comes from inhaled auto tires, but
immune system is depressed by eating foods laden
with naturally occurring latex. Nutrient changes
needed as we age are to avoid latex in food, decrease
gluten and omega 6, and replace nutrients not in the
food supply.
Western diets have a net acid load causing metabolic
acidosis that worsens with age as kidney functions
decline. Western diets are also low in B-vitamin and
Thiamine.
Helpful nutrients: Centrum Silver reverses cataracts,
omega 3 fish oil reverses dry eye syndrome, and 80
mg. of zinc oxide lowers mortality.
Western diets contain excess saturated and trans fatty
acids. After 3.5 years taking 850 mg/day omega 3,
subjects with pre-existing cardiovascular disease
reported a 20 percent reduction in mortality, a 45
percent reduction in sudden death, and prevented
many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
The latex chemical problem has increased because
latex is trapped in the plant when picked green to ship,
then latex becomes injury protein when plant or fruit is
treated with ethylene gas as is done in all grocery
warehouses. Symptoms are stiffness, fatigue, aches,
redness on chin, cheeks, ears, and forehead and
burning eyes. Dried, frozen, and canned foods have
less latex.
artificial sweeteners shock horror
Artificial Sweeteners
Most artificial sweeteners are artificially produced chemicals whose metabolism strains the liver, the most important organ for detoxification. Artificial sweeteners also confuse the brain. The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive the brain feels cheated and craves more sweets.
Almost all of the independent research on artificial sweeteners, from saccharine to aspartame, show toxicity in animal studies.
Sucralose (Splenda) is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon, a group of substances known to be poisonous. In test animals Splenda produced a myriad of toxic effects including enlarged, damaged livers and calcification of the kidneys.
The most controversial of the lot is Aspartame, sold by the Searle pharmaceutical company under the name Nutrasweet. It has a long history of toxicity in animal studies and was repeatedly denied approval by the FDA since the 1960s. A 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, confirmed that it "might induce brain tumors." The substance was only allowed on the market in 1981 after political interference in the FDA on behalf of Searle. Aspartame contains the excitotoxin aspartate as 40% of its molecular structure, and many health activists have proposed a link to early onset Parkinson's disease. Its metabolism produces methanol (wood alcohol), a toxin to the liver and nervous system. The methanol is further metabolized to produce formaldehyde, a neurotoxin which causes brain damage.
Since aspartame came on the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame include headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems, a cluster of neurological symptoms which have become so common they are actually referred to as "aspartame disease".
An attempt to ban Aspartame in New Mexico failed in 2006.
If you can't wean yourself off sweet-tasting foods, use Stevia, a completely natural substance derived from a South American herb, stevia rebuadiana. First published accounts of this herb go as far back as 1576 by Spanish physician Francisco Hernandez in his book, "Natural History of Plants of the New Spain" after Spanish conquistadors arrived on the shores of South America. Today stevia is widely used in Japan, South America, China, Germany, Korea and Israel, and others. Stevias' safety has been repeatedly proven through extensive scientific testing and hundreds of years of use. Stevia actually balances blood sugar levels, and is safe for use by both diabetics. Unlike aspartame, stevia reduces the craving for sweets.
Most artificial sweeteners are artificially produced chemicals whose metabolism strains the liver, the most important organ for detoxification. Artificial sweeteners also confuse the brain. The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive the brain feels cheated and craves more sweets.
Almost all of the independent research on artificial sweeteners, from saccharine to aspartame, show toxicity in animal studies.
Sucralose (Splenda) is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon, a group of substances known to be poisonous. In test animals Splenda produced a myriad of toxic effects including enlarged, damaged livers and calcification of the kidneys.
The most controversial of the lot is Aspartame, sold by the Searle pharmaceutical company under the name Nutrasweet. It has a long history of toxicity in animal studies and was repeatedly denied approval by the FDA since the 1960s. A 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, confirmed that it "might induce brain tumors." The substance was only allowed on the market in 1981 after political interference in the FDA on behalf of Searle. Aspartame contains the excitotoxin aspartate as 40% of its molecular structure, and many health activists have proposed a link to early onset Parkinson's disease. Its metabolism produces methanol (wood alcohol), a toxin to the liver and nervous system. The methanol is further metabolized to produce formaldehyde, a neurotoxin which causes brain damage.
Since aspartame came on the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame include headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems, a cluster of neurological symptoms which have become so common they are actually referred to as "aspartame disease".
An attempt to ban Aspartame in New Mexico failed in 2006.
If you can't wean yourself off sweet-tasting foods, use Stevia, a completely natural substance derived from a South American herb, stevia rebuadiana. First published accounts of this herb go as far back as 1576 by Spanish physician Francisco Hernandez in his book, "Natural History of Plants of the New Spain" after Spanish conquistadors arrived on the shores of South America. Today stevia is widely used in Japan, South America, China, Germany, Korea and Israel, and others. Stevias' safety has been repeatedly proven through extensive scientific testing and hundreds of years of use. Stevia actually balances blood sugar levels, and is safe for use by both diabetics. Unlike aspartame, stevia reduces the craving for sweets.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Are you short of vitamin B12 ?
Are you short of vitamin B12 ??. If you are a vegetarian you probably are -these symptoms may ring a bell.
The B12 Deficiency Support Group (which is now a charity)has brought you this page to support anyone who suffers from any of a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue (or overwhelming tiredness, may be diagnosed as ME, PV CFS - Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), pins and needles (including strange feelings in the face, arms, legs, numbness, "socks and gloves"), loss of power (haven't got strength in your arm or leg, can't swallow, difficulty with eyesight), memory and thinking problems (sometimes called "the fogs", could develop into dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease), digestive problems (frequently called Crohn's disease), infertility and/or menorrhagia, and autoimmune disease.
www.b12d.org
The B12 Deficiency Support Group (which is now a charity)has brought you this page to support anyone who suffers from any of a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue (or overwhelming tiredness, may be diagnosed as ME, PV CFS - Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), pins and needles (including strange feelings in the face, arms, legs, numbness, "socks and gloves"), loss of power (haven't got strength in your arm or leg, can't swallow, difficulty with eyesight), memory and thinking problems (sometimes called "the fogs", could develop into dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease), digestive problems (frequently called Crohn's disease), infertility and/or menorrhagia, and autoimmune disease.
www.b12d.org
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
mercury in your mouth
getting interested in this because I have a lot of amalgam fillings in my teeth.
from David Saxon MD :
"The major source of mercury poisoning in the United States is dental amalgam. Dental amalgams are usually alloys composed of mercury, silver, and tin with small amounts of copper and zinc. These alloys solidify at room temperature and are used to fill in cavities, or build up tooth surfaces for restoration. Dental amalgams contain about 50% mercury, and mercury has been shown to be more toxic than lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Mercury vaporizes at room temperature. The temperature in your mouth is much higher.
Fifteen Facts about Mercury and Dental Amalgams
1. Mercury vapor is the common manner in which mercury comes out of amalgam.
2. Mercury from amalgam binds to sulphydryl groups. These exist in almost every enzymatic process in the body. Mercury from amalgam will thus have the potential of disturbing all metabolic processes.
3. Mercury vapor is absorbed directly into the brain.
4. Mercury from amalgam will result in a slow build up of mercury in body tissue.
5. Mercury crosses the blood-brain barrier.
6. Mercury is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease.
7. Mercury crosses the placenta.
8. Mercury will cause an increase in number and severity of allergies.
9. Mercury from amalgam will migrate through the tooth.
10. This rate of migration is increased if a gold crown is placed over a tooth filled with amalgam.
11. In the brain, mercury from amalgam is stored preferentially in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.
12. Micro-mercurialism is principally characterized by neurological symptoms.
13. Mercury from amalgam may be stored in every cell in the body. Each area affected will produce its own set of symptoms.
14. Brain levels of mercury are in direct linear proportion to the number of amalgam surfaces in the mouth.
15. Dental personnel are severely effected by exposure to mercury."
so the next step is to look at removal and detox - will keep you posted ( if I have any brain cells left!)
from David Saxon MD :
"The major source of mercury poisoning in the United States is dental amalgam. Dental amalgams are usually alloys composed of mercury, silver, and tin with small amounts of copper and zinc. These alloys solidify at room temperature and are used to fill in cavities, or build up tooth surfaces for restoration. Dental amalgams contain about 50% mercury, and mercury has been shown to be more toxic than lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Mercury vaporizes at room temperature. The temperature in your mouth is much higher.
Fifteen Facts about Mercury and Dental Amalgams
1. Mercury vapor is the common manner in which mercury comes out of amalgam.
2. Mercury from amalgam binds to sulphydryl groups. These exist in almost every enzymatic process in the body. Mercury from amalgam will thus have the potential of disturbing all metabolic processes.
3. Mercury vapor is absorbed directly into the brain.
4. Mercury from amalgam will result in a slow build up of mercury in body tissue.
5. Mercury crosses the blood-brain barrier.
6. Mercury is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease.
7. Mercury crosses the placenta.
8. Mercury will cause an increase in number and severity of allergies.
9. Mercury from amalgam will migrate through the tooth.
10. This rate of migration is increased if a gold crown is placed over a tooth filled with amalgam.
11. In the brain, mercury from amalgam is stored preferentially in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.
12. Micro-mercurialism is principally characterized by neurological symptoms.
13. Mercury from amalgam may be stored in every cell in the body. Each area affected will produce its own set of symptoms.
14. Brain levels of mercury are in direct linear proportion to the number of amalgam surfaces in the mouth.
15. Dental personnel are severely effected by exposure to mercury."
so the next step is to look at removal and detox - will keep you posted ( if I have any brain cells left!)
Saturday, 1 October 2011
"pain is a disease"
at Parsons Chiropractic we offer fast relief from back and neck pain so its interesting to see this article from the Times:
"Chronic pain needs to be recognised as a disease in its own right, experts say.
The hospital doctors and academics argue this would lead to more momentum for official strategies and funding to help patients.
Nearly 8m people in the UK are suffering ongoing problems with pain. But only 2% of them end up seeing specialists - and a quarter believe their doctors do not know how to treat their pain, research shows.
Prescriptions worth a total of £584m are written every year for painkillers. And pain - including back problems - is the second most common reason cited by incapacity benefit claimants for not working.
Dr Beverly Collett, a consultant in pain medicine from University Hospitals of Leicester and chairman of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition campaign group , said: "This problem has huge ramifications for society as a whole. Pain is difficult to treat.
"Many patients are seeking reasons for what is behind the pain - but in the vast majority of cases, you can't find one. We are trying to get it taken more seriously - and there's a push, particularly in Europe, to say it is a disease in its own right."
Researchers are examining the idea that changes in the spinal cord and brain have the effect of maintaining pain in sufferers, making it an ongoing problem that can lead to depression or anxiety.
Experts believe more training would help GPs in assessing the severity of patients' pain.
Distraction
Non-medical interventions such as physiotherapy and encouraging patients to stay active can also play a role, with some work showing that distraction can help patients avoid feeling pain.
Professor Steve McMahon, from the Wolfson Centre of Age Related Diseases at King's College London, said the number of new drugs developed to treat pain in the past decade was "very small".
Another expert, Irene Tracey, Nuffield professor of anaesthetic science at Oxford University, said: "There is a cultural problem where it's thought that there is a benefit from suffering. We have to get over this. It's not acceptable for people to suffer significant pain in the 21st century."
By Jane Dreaper, Health correspondent, BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8543561.stm
"Chronic pain needs to be recognised as a disease in its own right, experts say.
The hospital doctors and academics argue this would lead to more momentum for official strategies and funding to help patients.
Nearly 8m people in the UK are suffering ongoing problems with pain. But only 2% of them end up seeing specialists - and a quarter believe their doctors do not know how to treat their pain, research shows.
Prescriptions worth a total of £584m are written every year for painkillers. And pain - including back problems - is the second most common reason cited by incapacity benefit claimants for not working.
Dr Beverly Collett, a consultant in pain medicine from University Hospitals of Leicester and chairman of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition campaign group , said: "This problem has huge ramifications for society as a whole. Pain is difficult to treat.
"Many patients are seeking reasons for what is behind the pain - but in the vast majority of cases, you can't find one. We are trying to get it taken more seriously - and there's a push, particularly in Europe, to say it is a disease in its own right."
Researchers are examining the idea that changes in the spinal cord and brain have the effect of maintaining pain in sufferers, making it an ongoing problem that can lead to depression or anxiety.
Experts believe more training would help GPs in assessing the severity of patients' pain.
Distraction
Non-medical interventions such as physiotherapy and encouraging patients to stay active can also play a role, with some work showing that distraction can help patients avoid feeling pain.
Professor Steve McMahon, from the Wolfson Centre of Age Related Diseases at King's College London, said the number of new drugs developed to treat pain in the past decade was "very small".
Another expert, Irene Tracey, Nuffield professor of anaesthetic science at Oxford University, said: "There is a cultural problem where it's thought that there is a benefit from suffering. We have to get over this. It's not acceptable for people to suffer significant pain in the 21st century."
By Jane Dreaper, Health correspondent, BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8543561.stm
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