Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
CANCER ROW OVER GM FOODS AS STUDY SAYS IT DID THIS TO RATS... AND CAN CAUSE ORGAN DAMAGE AND EARLY DEATH IN HUMANS
- French team claim bestselling brand of GM corn caused tumours and multiple organ damage
- Leading scientists have questioned the study and its results, claiming it has 'no value'
|
Rats fed a lifelong diet of one of the bestselling strains of genetically modified corn suffered tumours and multiple organ damage, according to a controversial French study published today.
Scientists said the results raised serious questions about the safety of GM foods and the assurances offered by biotech companies and governments.
The first lifetime trials involving rats fed on GM corn found a raised incidence of breast tumours, liver and kidney damage.
The French team has released shocking images of
tumours in mice caused by exclusively eating GM corn. However, the
research has been criticised as being of 'no value' by other scientists
The research was carried out by Caen University in France, and has been peer reviewed by independent scientists to guarantee the experiments were properly conducted and the results are valid.
It is the first to look at the impact of eating a GM diet over a lifetime in rats, which is two years. To date, safety assessments of GM crops have been based on rat feeding trials lasting 90 days.
The corn was genetically modified to withstand spraying with glyphosate, the main chemical in the weedkiller Roundup, developed by Monsanto. The idea is that the corn can be sprayed without being damaged, while weeds are destroyed.
The tests looked at the impact of several scenarios including eating the GM corn (NK603), eating the GM corn sprayed with Roundup, and consuming Roundup at low doses in water.
The results were compared against those for a control group fed a ‘clean’ diet without GM or Roundup.
Public concerns: A GM food protestor dressed as
the grim reaper in a field of GM maize crops in Over Compton near
Sherborne, Dorset
- Between 50 to 80 per cent of female rats developed large tumours by the beginning of the 24th month, with up to three tumours per animal. Only 30 per cent of the control rats developed tumours
- Up to 70 per cent of females died prematurely compared with only 20 per cent in the control group
- Tumours in rats of both sexes fed the GM corn were two to three times larger than in the control group
- The large tumours appeared in females after seven months, compared to 14 months in the control group. The team said the tumours were ‘deleterious to health due to a very large size’, making it difficult for the rats to breathe and causing digestive problems.
The Daily Mail’s Frankenstein Food Watch campaign has long highlighted problems with the lack of rigorous safety assessments for GM crops and food.
Although GM corn is widely used in the US, British consumers have turned their backs on the technology because of concerns about its impact on human health and the environment.
Although it is not available in British supermarkets, it is fed to farm animals including chickens, pigs and dairy cows.
Mustafa Djamgoz, professor of Cancer Biology at Imperial College, London, said the findings relating to eating GM corn were a surprise.
‘We are what we eat,’ he added. ‘I work at the molecular level on cancer. There is evidence what we eat affects our genetic make-up and turns genes on and off.
‘We are not scaremongering here. More research is warranted.’
Dr Julian Little, of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, which speaks for the GM industry, insisted GM foods were safe, adding: ‘The industry takes all health concerns regarding biotech food and feed very seriously.’
Anthony Trewavas, professor of cell biology at Edinburgh University, questioned the way the research had been conducted, saying the number of rats involved in the study – 200 – was too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.
‘To be frank, it looks like random variation to me in a rodent line likely to develop tumours anyway,’ he said.
He also claimed Professor Seralini was an anti-GM campaigner and that previous studies questioning the technology’s safety had not withstood scrutiny.
Major doubts have been raised over the safety of
GM foods by a new study which found they can cause tumours and organ
damage in mice
ETHICAL DONATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS REQUIRED, TO FILL THIS SPACE WITH YOUR POLITICAL SLOGANS, ADVERTISING OFFERS, WEBSITE DETAILS, CHARITY REQUESTS, LECTURE OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, SPIRITUALAND/OR HEALTH ENLIGHTENMENT COURSES.
AS AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL INDEPENDENT MEDIA COMMUNITY,MIKIVERSE HEALTH HONOURABLY REQUESTS YOUR HELP TO KEEP YOUR NEWS,DIVERSE,AND FREE OF CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT SPIN AND CONTROL. FOR MORE INFO ON HOW YOU MAY ASSIST, PLEASE CONTACT: themikiverse@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
30 STUNNING FACTS THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT GARDASIL AND HPV VACCINES
by Willow Tohi
(NaturalNews) Guarantees. Insurance. Promises. Concerns over safety, security, and health make most people apprehensive about the future on some level. Guarding against future unknowns has become a big part of the American economy. You can get a warranty on almost anything with a battery, take out insurance on many more things than your grandparents would have dreamed of, and the medical industry is working around the clock to develop new drugs and vaccines to 'protect' us from whatever trending epidemic is in the news.
One fairly recent, major medical controversy that seemed, strangely, to have no trending epidemic, is the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer. The blatant profit-mongering behind the development of the premiere vaccine, Gardasil, was transparent enough that it served to further inflame the ongoing vaccination controversies to a point that the media could no longer fail to report on it.
The politics and profits involved in the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the media industry become more obvious and prevalent every day. Before taking any pharmaceutical product, you should take ownership of your own health. Conduct your own research on the ingredients and side-effects. Find out where your doctor gets his information. Many of them are paid to promote specific pharmaceutical products. Others simply get their information from sources they trust such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Still, others are told by their legal departments not to speak out.
Some empowering facts you may not know about the human papillomavirus and Gardasil:
1. First, the basis is wrong. HPV by itself does not cause cervical cancer. Evidence shows it takes a combination, or co-infections - multiple viruses or virus/bacteria combinations to cause cervical cancer. Examples include Epstein Bar virus, HIV, and Chlamydia, along with HPV.
2. Birth control pills and other hormonal drugs also increase the risk of HPV.
3. It has never been proven that the HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer. There is no scientific evidence of any kind.
4. There are over 100 strains of HPV, only about 15 of which can contribute to cervical cancer.
5. HPV vaccines only include two to four strains, leaving you open to more than two-thirds of the dangerous strains. You will still need to get routine screenings for cervical cancer.
6. You don't change or reduce the incidence of cancer by receiving the vaccine. Studies show that the human immune system develops resistance to the strains given in the vaccine, allowing others to become predominant.
7. The CDC website states that the human body's immune system clears HPV within two years, 90 percent of the time (70 percent in one year). Without the vaccine.
8. One of the most powerful connections proven to increase the risk of cervical cancer is smoking. Women who smoke have 2.3 times higher incidence of the precancerous lesions that lead to cervical cancer.
9. Diet is key. A poor diet increases risk while a diet that includes high amounts of vitamin B12 and folic acid have a 79 percent reduction in HPV infections and cervical cancer. Vitamin C, curcumin, quercetin, and other flavonoids are powerful inhibitors against cervical cancer.
10. Dietary combinations have been proven to have far greater effect against HPV than any vaccine.
11. All the marketing assertions are false. It is one of the largest, most harmful medical hoaxes of our time.
12. Officially, the vaccine has been associated with approximately 100 deaths, and 500 have been left permanently disabled.
13. Those numbers are based on voluntary reporting, which historically means only two to ten percent of cases are represented. The vast majority of cases are never reported. So, conservatively, 5,000 young girls and women have been harmed by the vaccine.
14. Cervical cancer is one of the rarest cancers in the U. S., with 12,000 cases reported per year and 4,000 deaths.
15. The number of girls and women that experience serious complications from the vaccine meets or exceeds the number of deaths.
16. Side-effects include: Multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, blindness, pericarditis, coma, and death among many others.
17. The vaccine Gardasil was "fast tracked." This was illegal. The FDA requires new vaccines to undergo testing and a waiting period of 4 years. Gardasil was developed and on the market in 6 months, with FDA approval.
18. Texas governor Rick Perry tried to force all girls in Texas entering the sixth grade to receive the vaccine in 2007, despite the fact that the incubation period for HPV averages 20 years with the median age of sufferers being 48. He mandated it over the legislature's objections.
19. People thought they were required to receive the vaccine, but that too was untrue as it wasn't an actual law.
20. Perry received huge amounts of money from the manufacturer.
21. Perry's former chief of staff became a hired lobbyist for Merck, the maker of Gardasil in 2009, exposing the connection to the pharmaceutical giant, and the motivation for pushing the vaccine.
22. The Texas Legislature overturned Perry's executive order requiring girls to get the vaccine due to the huge backlash from the public. However, the precedent had been set, and other states and countries began to follow suit.
23. Pap smears alone prevent over 80 percent of cervical cancer. A yearly pap smear reduces your chance of getting cervical cancer to .002 percent.
24. HPV vaccines have been illegally administered to millions without informed consent as the risks are rarely disclosed.
25. What people don't know is that there are Informed Consent laws that are there to protect patients. They provide a legal strategy for people who have experienced vaccine damage.
26. Vaccine manufacturers do not want doctors to discuss and disclose the risks associated with vaccines because they don't want people to realize they can opt out. This has been documented in multiple medical journals. Yet it is illegal for doctors NOT to disclose the risks.
27. The vaccine was only tested on 21,000 girls and women before being pushed on millions of children, teens, and adults worldwide, according to the FDA website.
28. The FDA website has no mention that the vaccine was ever tested on males, yet the CDC says the vaccine is "recommended for all teen boys and men through age 21."
29. The Informed Consent laws also address questions about the efficacy of vaccines. Meaning you have a right to ask questions and receive answers about how well it works, why you should allow it to be administered, as well as the risks.
30. Vaccine manufacturers have gone to the legislature(s) to get a law passed that you cannot sue over vaccine complications. But, you can sue. (http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=4D703FEAA094BED0DB02BEDC4507765C)
After learning the ins and out of the underhanded and unethical practices involved in bringing this vaccine to market, people should wonder why and how medical professionals and legislators continue to go along with promoting it unquestioningly. If this were a financial situation, there would be enough evidence to bring charges against manufacturers, the legislators, and the CDC. The vaccine industry regularly operates in criminal practices. They violate marketing laws with false statements and exaggerated extrapolations/over simplification of the facts; they doctor their statistical numbers, and present their marketing as science. Gardasil was being tested before it was licensed. They have yet to offer a plausible explanation as to why girls aged 9-12 need a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease, much less one that only offers two years of "protection."
You have to question who is making the decisions to allow the shortcuts that have resulted in so many deaths and disabilities. Are these the same "powers that be" that are disseminating the information to your doctor that it is safe and recommended for your daughter?
Sources for this article include:
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=4D703FEAA094BED0DB02BEDC4507765C
http://www.prisonplanet.com
http://www.infowars.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/036901_Gardasil_vaccine_marketing.html
(NaturalNews) Guarantees. Insurance. Promises. Concerns over safety, security, and health make most people apprehensive about the future on some level. Guarding against future unknowns has become a big part of the American economy. You can get a warranty on almost anything with a battery, take out insurance on many more things than your grandparents would have dreamed of, and the medical industry is working around the clock to develop new drugs and vaccines to 'protect' us from whatever trending epidemic is in the news.
One fairly recent, major medical controversy that seemed, strangely, to have no trending epidemic, is the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer. The blatant profit-mongering behind the development of the premiere vaccine, Gardasil, was transparent enough that it served to further inflame the ongoing vaccination controversies to a point that the media could no longer fail to report on it.
The politics and profits involved in the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the media industry become more obvious and prevalent every day. Before taking any pharmaceutical product, you should take ownership of your own health. Conduct your own research on the ingredients and side-effects. Find out where your doctor gets his information. Many of them are paid to promote specific pharmaceutical products. Others simply get their information from sources they trust such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Still, others are told by their legal departments not to speak out.
Facts you probably don't know about HPV and Gardasil
In August, the Health Ranger interviewed neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D. on tv.naturalnews.com. Dr. Blaylock shared some little known facts about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the quick development of a vaccine to address it. Dr. Blaylock says the vaccine is "predicated on an absolute lie."Some empowering facts you may not know about the human papillomavirus and Gardasil:
1. First, the basis is wrong. HPV by itself does not cause cervical cancer. Evidence shows it takes a combination, or co-infections - multiple viruses or virus/bacteria combinations to cause cervical cancer. Examples include Epstein Bar virus, HIV, and Chlamydia, along with HPV.
2. Birth control pills and other hormonal drugs also increase the risk of HPV.
3. It has never been proven that the HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer. There is no scientific evidence of any kind.
4. There are over 100 strains of HPV, only about 15 of which can contribute to cervical cancer.
5. HPV vaccines only include two to four strains, leaving you open to more than two-thirds of the dangerous strains. You will still need to get routine screenings for cervical cancer.
6. You don't change or reduce the incidence of cancer by receiving the vaccine. Studies show that the human immune system develops resistance to the strains given in the vaccine, allowing others to become predominant.
7. The CDC website states that the human body's immune system clears HPV within two years, 90 percent of the time (70 percent in one year). Without the vaccine.
8. One of the most powerful connections proven to increase the risk of cervical cancer is smoking. Women who smoke have 2.3 times higher incidence of the precancerous lesions that lead to cervical cancer.
9. Diet is key. A poor diet increases risk while a diet that includes high amounts of vitamin B12 and folic acid have a 79 percent reduction in HPV infections and cervical cancer. Vitamin C, curcumin, quercetin, and other flavonoids are powerful inhibitors against cervical cancer.
10. Dietary combinations have been proven to have far greater effect against HPV than any vaccine.
11. All the marketing assertions are false. It is one of the largest, most harmful medical hoaxes of our time.
12. Officially, the vaccine has been associated with approximately 100 deaths, and 500 have been left permanently disabled.
13. Those numbers are based on voluntary reporting, which historically means only two to ten percent of cases are represented. The vast majority of cases are never reported. So, conservatively, 5,000 young girls and women have been harmed by the vaccine.
14. Cervical cancer is one of the rarest cancers in the U. S., with 12,000 cases reported per year and 4,000 deaths.
15. The number of girls and women that experience serious complications from the vaccine meets or exceeds the number of deaths.
16. Side-effects include: Multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, blindness, pericarditis, coma, and death among many others.
17. The vaccine Gardasil was "fast tracked." This was illegal. The FDA requires new vaccines to undergo testing and a waiting period of 4 years. Gardasil was developed and on the market in 6 months, with FDA approval.
18. Texas governor Rick Perry tried to force all girls in Texas entering the sixth grade to receive the vaccine in 2007, despite the fact that the incubation period for HPV averages 20 years with the median age of sufferers being 48. He mandated it over the legislature's objections.
19. People thought they were required to receive the vaccine, but that too was untrue as it wasn't an actual law.
20. Perry received huge amounts of money from the manufacturer.
21. Perry's former chief of staff became a hired lobbyist for Merck, the maker of Gardasil in 2009, exposing the connection to the pharmaceutical giant, and the motivation for pushing the vaccine.
22. The Texas Legislature overturned Perry's executive order requiring girls to get the vaccine due to the huge backlash from the public. However, the precedent had been set, and other states and countries began to follow suit.
23. Pap smears alone prevent over 80 percent of cervical cancer. A yearly pap smear reduces your chance of getting cervical cancer to .002 percent.
24. HPV vaccines have been illegally administered to millions without informed consent as the risks are rarely disclosed.
25. What people don't know is that there are Informed Consent laws that are there to protect patients. They provide a legal strategy for people who have experienced vaccine damage.
26. Vaccine manufacturers do not want doctors to discuss and disclose the risks associated with vaccines because they don't want people to realize they can opt out. This has been documented in multiple medical journals. Yet it is illegal for doctors NOT to disclose the risks.
27. The vaccine was only tested on 21,000 girls and women before being pushed on millions of children, teens, and adults worldwide, according to the FDA website.
28. The FDA website has no mention that the vaccine was ever tested on males, yet the CDC says the vaccine is "recommended for all teen boys and men through age 21."
29. The Informed Consent laws also address questions about the efficacy of vaccines. Meaning you have a right to ask questions and receive answers about how well it works, why you should allow it to be administered, as well as the risks.
30. Vaccine manufacturers have gone to the legislature(s) to get a law passed that you cannot sue over vaccine complications. But, you can sue. (http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=4D703FEAA094BED0DB02BEDC4507765C)
After learning the ins and out of the underhanded and unethical practices involved in bringing this vaccine to market, people should wonder why and how medical professionals and legislators continue to go along with promoting it unquestioningly. If this were a financial situation, there would be enough evidence to bring charges against manufacturers, the legislators, and the CDC. The vaccine industry regularly operates in criminal practices. They violate marketing laws with false statements and exaggerated extrapolations/over simplification of the facts; they doctor their statistical numbers, and present their marketing as science. Gardasil was being tested before it was licensed. They have yet to offer a plausible explanation as to why girls aged 9-12 need a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease, much less one that only offers two years of "protection."
You have to question who is making the decisions to allow the shortcuts that have resulted in so many deaths and disabilities. Are these the same "powers that be" that are disseminating the information to your doctor that it is safe and recommended for your daughter?
Sources for this article include:
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=4D703FEAA094BED0DB02BEDC4507765C
http://www.prisonplanet.com
http://www.infowars.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/036901_Gardasil_vaccine_marketing.html
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
EIGHTEEN CAUSES OF MINERAL DEPLETION
Sept 7, 2012 by APRIL McCARTHY
Minerals play a critical role in our bodies and they have specific cofactors that help them to work properly so that everything we eat is perfectly assimilated. Mineral deficiency is quite common all over the world, in part because of modern-day living. Our soil has been depleted of minerals, resulting in fewer mineral-rich types of produce on supermarket shelves. Here are 18 common causes of mineral depletion.
The Importance of Minerals
Magnesium is a vitally important mineral to good mental health. The lack is also one of the most common physical causes of depression. The lack of magnesium is also responsible for anxiety, agitation and even hallucinations. The other most well-known and important minerals needed to prevent (and sometimes treat) depression include calcium, zinc, iron, manganese and potassium. Each mineral has its own purpose.
Magnesium supports bone mineralization, protein building, muscular contractions, nerve impulses, and boosts immunity.
Calcium is responsible for the growth and health of bones and teeth and aids in blood clotting.
Zinc produces genetic material and protein, transports vitamin A throughout the body, and is responsible for taste perception, wound healing, sperm production and normal fetal development.
Iron is a part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen through the body's cells.
Manganese facilitates cell responses, though it is the mineral scientists know the least about. It works with enzymes and is essential for many body functions, but how it is done remains somewhat misunderstood.
Lastly, potassium maintains the body's fluid and electrolyte balance and helps with muscle contractions, cell health and nerve impulses.
18 Causes of Mineral Depletion
1. Soil Depletion -- This is the number one reason that most people are mineral deficient. Soil depletion has been well documented since the US Senate made their study back in 1936. Even organically grown vegetables are lacking in minerals -- organic farming only addresses the pesticide/chemical issues most typically. The best way to get mineral rich grown fruits and vegetables is through bio-dynamic produce, local CSA’s that practice crop rotation and soil supplementation through compost and other means, and of course growing your own garden you can work on the integrity of the soil. Not to mention, the animals we consume also need to be raised on good quality pastures with good soil conditions as well.
2. Antacids & Acid blockers -- deplete calcium, but often people are unaware as testing is done on blood levels and only 1% of the calcium in the body is in the blood. This doesn’t indicate the loss in the bones/tissues. Antacids/Acid Blockers contain aluminum hydroxide which prevents the absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract.
3. Low Stomach Acid/Hypochlorhydria -- the body needs appropriate stomach acid in order to break down minerals, namely calcium. Also, low stomach acid can be a sign of low zinc because zinc is needed in the body to help produce stomach acid.
4. Cortisone -- used for pain and inflammation can contribute to severe calcium loss with prolonged use. It also depletes potassium.
5. Pharmaceutical Drugs -- this is too vast to go into, suffice it to say all drugs deplete the body of a vast amount of nutrients.
6. Birth Control Pills -- deplete magnesium and zinc, along with numerous other vitamins. And since they have a direct impact on our hormones this also plays with our ability to get the minerals needed. They cause excess copper in the body, which can be toxic, this is why zinc becomes depleted as these two minerals are antagonistic to each other.
7. Coffee -- calcium/magnesium are lost in our urine with coffee. It’s a diuretic. You will be losing potassium and sodium as well. The same goes for caffeine in general.
8. Alcohol -- speeds up the excretion of magnesium through the kidneys. It can also deplete, calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, potassium and chromium.
9. Soda consumption -- contains excess phosphorous which leads to reduced body storage of calcium because they compete for absorption in the intestines. Soday also causes potassium loss.
10. Sugar- for every molecule of sugar our bodies use 54 molecules of magnesium to process it. Insulin surges use up our zinc. Sugar also depletes magnesium, potassium and robs your bones of minerals in general. A high sugar diet results in increased losses of chromium through the urine.
11. Excess Insulin- causes calcium to be retained by the body through re-absorption by the kidneys.
12. Excess Estrogen -- decreases calcium excretion. Same effects as birth control also apply.
13. Hyperthyroidism- causes increased calcium losses and increased calcium resorption from the bone. Creates the need for more magnesium. Often more copper is needed, along with iodine. Perhaps it would be better stated that deficiencies of selenium play a role in low thyroid hormone production
14. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D diet) -- the typical diet of minimal fresh foods, higher amounts of refined and processed foods, foods grown on poor/depleted soils, excess phosphorous in these foods depletes calcium and has been shown to cause bone loss. Magnesium and chromium, (and all minerals really) are also lost in processing and due to poor soil.
15. Excess Grains- phytic acid binds with the minerals in the intestine and blocks absorption, causing them to be excreted unused.
16. Dietary Insufficiency -- source of food, how it’s prepared, is it processed or whole real natural foods. And of course, was the food raised properly on mineral rich soils.
17. Heavy Metal Toxicity-
- Mercury -- amalgam fillings, in certain fish, vaccines. Blocks magnesium and zinc. Mercury binds with magnesium and renders it void. Supplementing won’t be enough, must detoxify the metals.
- Aluminum -- Antacids/Anti-perspirants/Cosmetics -- aluminum foil -- aluminum penetrates the blood brain barrier and is very difficult to detoxify. Impedes the utilization of calcium/magnesium/phosphorous. Neutralizes pepsin.
- Lead -- binds with calcium and makes it unusable for the body.
18. Radiation - any type of electromagnetic (EMF) frequency has an effect on the bodies ability to absorb and assimilate minerals. Exposure to EMF on a daily basis can reduce certain minerals in the body by almost 15%.
The best way to ensure you are getting a wide array of minerals is by a whole foods, properly prepared nutrient dense diet. Understanding traditional foods and what our ancestors and indigenous tribes and cultures ate throughout history can really help us in our modern day peril of industrialized processed foods and depleted soils. It is critical in my opinion to learn how to make mineral rich bone broth and consume it regularly. This is one of the absolute best options and most absorbable forms available to us. Mineral rich salts are another great source. Our water used to be the best source, but nowadays our waters are so polluted that is not the best option anymore.
Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong. Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, writes that jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations. In other words, when it comes to growing food, less is more. Scientific papers have cited one of the first reports of this effect, a 1981 study by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in Advances in Agronomy, more than 180 times since its publication, "suggesting that the effect is widely regarded as common knowledge."
Less studied, though, is the "genetic dillution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."
On the "Industrialization" of Agriculture: Thanks to the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil, and minerals like potassium (the "K" in N-P-K fertilizers) often interfere with a plant's ability to take up nutrients. Monoculture farming practices - another hallmark of the Big Ag industry - have also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.
The excessive use of resources, industrial development, erosion, irrigation, drainage of wetlands, deforestation and mining for oil and minerals are other broader perspectives on why mineral depletion exists. Addressing these problems will be one of the biggest challenges for humanity in the next few decades.
Sources:
time.com
divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com
ehow.com
wiki.answers.com
April McCarthy is a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.
http://preventdisease.com/news/12/090712_18-Causes-of-Mineral-Depletion.shtml
Minerals play a critical role in our bodies and they have specific cofactors that help them to work properly so that everything we eat is perfectly assimilated. Mineral deficiency is quite common all over the world, in part because of modern-day living. Our soil has been depleted of minerals, resulting in fewer mineral-rich types of produce on supermarket shelves. Here are 18 common causes of mineral depletion.
The Importance of Minerals
Magnesium is a vitally important mineral to good mental health. The lack is also one of the most common physical causes of depression. The lack of magnesium is also responsible for anxiety, agitation and even hallucinations. The other most well-known and important minerals needed to prevent (and sometimes treat) depression include calcium, zinc, iron, manganese and potassium. Each mineral has its own purpose.
Magnesium supports bone mineralization, protein building, muscular contractions, nerve impulses, and boosts immunity.
Calcium is responsible for the growth and health of bones and teeth and aids in blood clotting.
Zinc produces genetic material and protein, transports vitamin A throughout the body, and is responsible for taste perception, wound healing, sperm production and normal fetal development.
Iron is a part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen through the body's cells.
Manganese facilitates cell responses, though it is the mineral scientists know the least about. It works with enzymes and is essential for many body functions, but how it is done remains somewhat misunderstood.
Lastly, potassium maintains the body's fluid and electrolyte balance and helps with muscle contractions, cell health and nerve impulses.
18 Causes of Mineral Depletion
1. Soil Depletion -- This is the number one reason that most people are mineral deficient. Soil depletion has been well documented since the US Senate made their study back in 1936. Even organically grown vegetables are lacking in minerals -- organic farming only addresses the pesticide/chemical issues most typically. The best way to get mineral rich grown fruits and vegetables is through bio-dynamic produce, local CSA’s that practice crop rotation and soil supplementation through compost and other means, and of course growing your own garden you can work on the integrity of the soil. Not to mention, the animals we consume also need to be raised on good quality pastures with good soil conditions as well.
2. Antacids & Acid blockers -- deplete calcium, but often people are unaware as testing is done on blood levels and only 1% of the calcium in the body is in the blood. This doesn’t indicate the loss in the bones/tissues. Antacids/Acid Blockers contain aluminum hydroxide which prevents the absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract.
3. Low Stomach Acid/Hypochlorhydria -- the body needs appropriate stomach acid in order to break down minerals, namely calcium. Also, low stomach acid can be a sign of low zinc because zinc is needed in the body to help produce stomach acid.
4. Cortisone -- used for pain and inflammation can contribute to severe calcium loss with prolonged use. It also depletes potassium.
5. Pharmaceutical Drugs -- this is too vast to go into, suffice it to say all drugs deplete the body of a vast amount of nutrients.
6. Birth Control Pills -- deplete magnesium and zinc, along with numerous other vitamins. And since they have a direct impact on our hormones this also plays with our ability to get the minerals needed. They cause excess copper in the body, which can be toxic, this is why zinc becomes depleted as these two minerals are antagonistic to each other.
7. Coffee -- calcium/magnesium are lost in our urine with coffee. It’s a diuretic. You will be losing potassium and sodium as well. The same goes for caffeine in general.
8. Alcohol -- speeds up the excretion of magnesium through the kidneys. It can also deplete, calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, potassium and chromium.
9. Soda consumption -- contains excess phosphorous which leads to reduced body storage of calcium because they compete for absorption in the intestines. Soday also causes potassium loss.
10. Sugar- for every molecule of sugar our bodies use 54 molecules of magnesium to process it. Insulin surges use up our zinc. Sugar also depletes magnesium, potassium and robs your bones of minerals in general. A high sugar diet results in increased losses of chromium through the urine.
11. Excess Insulin- causes calcium to be retained by the body through re-absorption by the kidneys.
12. Excess Estrogen -- decreases calcium excretion. Same effects as birth control also apply.
13. Hyperthyroidism- causes increased calcium losses and increased calcium resorption from the bone. Creates the need for more magnesium. Often more copper is needed, along with iodine. Perhaps it would be better stated that deficiencies of selenium play a role in low thyroid hormone production
14. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D diet) -- the typical diet of minimal fresh foods, higher amounts of refined and processed foods, foods grown on poor/depleted soils, excess phosphorous in these foods depletes calcium and has been shown to cause bone loss. Magnesium and chromium, (and all minerals really) are also lost in processing and due to poor soil.
15. Excess Grains- phytic acid binds with the minerals in the intestine and blocks absorption, causing them to be excreted unused.
16. Dietary Insufficiency -- source of food, how it’s prepared, is it processed or whole real natural foods. And of course, was the food raised properly on mineral rich soils.
17. Heavy Metal Toxicity-
- Mercury -- amalgam fillings, in certain fish, vaccines. Blocks magnesium and zinc. Mercury binds with magnesium and renders it void. Supplementing won’t be enough, must detoxify the metals.
- Aluminum -- Antacids/Anti-perspirants/Cosmetics -- aluminum foil -- aluminum penetrates the blood brain barrier and is very difficult to detoxify. Impedes the utilization of calcium/magnesium/phosphorous. Neutralizes pepsin.
- Lead -- binds with calcium and makes it unusable for the body.
18. Radiation - any type of electromagnetic (EMF) frequency has an effect on the bodies ability to absorb and assimilate minerals. Exposure to EMF on a daily basis can reduce certain minerals in the body by almost 15%.
The best way to ensure you are getting a wide array of minerals is by a whole foods, properly prepared nutrient dense diet. Understanding traditional foods and what our ancestors and indigenous tribes and cultures ate throughout history can really help us in our modern day peril of industrialized processed foods and depleted soils. It is critical in my opinion to learn how to make mineral rich bone broth and consume it regularly. This is one of the absolute best options and most absorbable forms available to us. Mineral rich salts are another great source. Our water used to be the best source, but nowadays our waters are so polluted that is not the best option anymore.
Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong. Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, writes that jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations. In other words, when it comes to growing food, less is more. Scientific papers have cited one of the first reports of this effect, a 1981 study by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in Advances in Agronomy, more than 180 times since its publication, "suggesting that the effect is widely regarded as common knowledge."
Less studied, though, is the "genetic dillution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."
On the "Industrialization" of Agriculture: Thanks to the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil, and minerals like potassium (the "K" in N-P-K fertilizers) often interfere with a plant's ability to take up nutrients. Monoculture farming practices - another hallmark of the Big Ag industry - have also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.
The excessive use of resources, industrial development, erosion, irrigation, drainage of wetlands, deforestation and mining for oil and minerals are other broader perspectives on why mineral depletion exists. Addressing these problems will be one of the biggest challenges for humanity in the next few decades.
Sources:
time.com
divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com
ehow.com
wiki.answers.com
April McCarthy is a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.
http://preventdisease.com/news/12/090712_18-Causes-of-Mineral-Depletion.shtml
Monday, September 17, 2012
RED MEAT DOES NOT RAISE RISK OF CANCER, HEART DISEASE
Cameron English
Red Meat Does Not Raise Risk of Cancer Heart Disease
"Things that you like to eat cause cancer" was a popular theme in science journalism last week. The caramel coloring in soda was the first alleged culprit, and a study released Monday suggests that eating red meat may cause cancer and cardiovascular disease.
According to CNN, "... the risk of dying at an early age -- from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause — rises in step with red-meat consumption." The media often misreport the conclusions of the research they cover, but this time it appears the scientists involved are encouraging people to eat less red meat.
Are they correct? Probably not. Like most that make headlines, this study was observational and the authors did little to consider any alternative explanation.
RELATED: Coca Cola and Pepsi Carmel Won't Give You Cancer
For starters, nobody was put on a diet and monitored to see if they developed cancer or heart disease; participants' "[d]iets were assessed through questionnaires every four years" and the data came from two previous studies, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study.
Research like this is entirely dependent upon participants to accurately recall what they've eaten during the period the study is in progress. "In each FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), we asked the participants how often, on average, they consumed each food of a standard portion size. There were 9 possible responses, ranging from "never or less than once per month" to "6 or more times per day."
To get an idea of what it's like to fill out one of these surveys, take a look at the one discussed here. Recording what you eat with any degree of accuracy is incredibly difficult even when you are motivated to do so, as anyone who has ever dieted knows. Now, imagine assessing the food surveys of over 100,000 people for a study spanning slightly more than two decades. Good luck.
The authors defended both the data they utilized and the study's methodology, but the fact remains that observational research doesn't compare to clinical research. And on that score, it is fair to say that red meat in your diet is perfectly healthy, and in greater quantities than those recommended in the current study.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the solid association between meat consumption and cancer and cardiovascular disease is anything but. Many statistical studies of the link between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer, for example, have revealed no correlation between the two. Similarly, as Dr. Michael Eades points out, low-carbohydrate diets (which generally include a lot of red meat) help people avoid these medical conditions.
Additionally, and ironically, previous research has shown that vegetarians don't live any longer than the rest of us, and are more likely to suffer from several serious diseases. Such results are difficult to resolve if red meat is the killer it is made out to be.
Given the shaky nature of the red meat-disease link, maybe there is something else in our diets that is the problem, like sugar. Dr. Robert Lustig, whose research has made him a rather controversial figure, argues that this is indeed the case.
His conclusion is based on the observation that people who become obese and develop diabetes are also more likely to get cancer. The reason being that insulin-resistance (a result of too much sugar consumption) encourages increased production of insulin as well as a related hormone called insulin-like growth factor. According to science writer Gary Taubes, "... the cells of many human cancers come to depend on insulin to provide the fuel (blood sugar) and materials they need to grow and multiply. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor (and related growth factors) also provide the signal, in effect, to do it. The more insulin, the better they do."
Lustig and Taubes are not alone. The relationship between cancer and insulin has been recognized for many years. The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research said as much in 2007, and a number of prominent cancer researchers have come out in support of the hypothesis as well. To be sure, researchers are still fighting over which part of our diets is to blame, and that's precisely the point. It is also something to think about the next time a health story like this makes headlines.
Photo Credit: procsilas
http://www.policymic.com/articles/5393/red-meat-does-not-raise-risk-of-cancer-heart-disease
According to CNN, "... the risk of dying at an early age -- from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause — rises in step with red-meat consumption." The media often misreport the conclusions of the research they cover, but this time it appears the scientists involved are encouraging people to eat less red meat.
Are they correct? Probably not. Like most that make headlines, this study was observational and the authors did little to consider any alternative explanation.
RELATED: Coca Cola and Pepsi Carmel Won't Give You Cancer
For starters, nobody was put on a diet and monitored to see if they developed cancer or heart disease; participants' "[d]iets were assessed through questionnaires every four years" and the data came from two previous studies, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study.
Research like this is entirely dependent upon participants to accurately recall what they've eaten during the period the study is in progress. "In each FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), we asked the participants how often, on average, they consumed each food of a standard portion size. There were 9 possible responses, ranging from "never or less than once per month" to "6 or more times per day."
To get an idea of what it's like to fill out one of these surveys, take a look at the one discussed here. Recording what you eat with any degree of accuracy is incredibly difficult even when you are motivated to do so, as anyone who has ever dieted knows. Now, imagine assessing the food surveys of over 100,000 people for a study spanning slightly more than two decades. Good luck.
The authors defended both the data they utilized and the study's methodology, but the fact remains that observational research doesn't compare to clinical research. And on that score, it is fair to say that red meat in your diet is perfectly healthy, and in greater quantities than those recommended in the current study.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the solid association between meat consumption and cancer and cardiovascular disease is anything but. Many statistical studies of the link between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer, for example, have revealed no correlation between the two. Similarly, as Dr. Michael Eades points out, low-carbohydrate diets (which generally include a lot of red meat) help people avoid these medical conditions.
Additionally, and ironically, previous research has shown that vegetarians don't live any longer than the rest of us, and are more likely to suffer from several serious diseases. Such results are difficult to resolve if red meat is the killer it is made out to be.
Given the shaky nature of the red meat-disease link, maybe there is something else in our diets that is the problem, like sugar. Dr. Robert Lustig, whose research has made him a rather controversial figure, argues that this is indeed the case.
His conclusion is based on the observation that people who become obese and develop diabetes are also more likely to get cancer. The reason being that insulin-resistance (a result of too much sugar consumption) encourages increased production of insulin as well as a related hormone called insulin-like growth factor. According to science writer Gary Taubes, "... the cells of many human cancers come to depend on insulin to provide the fuel (blood sugar) and materials they need to grow and multiply. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor (and related growth factors) also provide the signal, in effect, to do it. The more insulin, the better they do."
Lustig and Taubes are not alone. The relationship between cancer and insulin has been recognized for many years. The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research said as much in 2007, and a number of prominent cancer researchers have come out in support of the hypothesis as well. To be sure, researchers are still fighting over which part of our diets is to blame, and that's precisely the point. It is also something to think about the next time a health story like this makes headlines.
Photo Credit: procsilas
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)