Dr. David Jockers Natural News  May 3, 2012

NO to Artificial-Sweeteners

(NaturalNews) Due to our society’s love of sugar, scientists have been able to synthetically produce artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers. These artificial sweeteners give us the same pleasure as sugar without the calories and dangerous effects on insulin signaling and triglyceride formation. This includes aspartame, acefultame potassium, monosodium glutamate, sucralose and many others. Unfortunately, these artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers break down into highly toxic chemical agents that damage important regions of the body.

Ideal sweeteners are formed in nature and are minimally processed. These would include organic sugar, stevia, raw honey, maple syrup, etc. The greater the processing the more dangerous the sweetener can potentially be. Artificial sweeteners are often devised completely in a laboratory or they begin as sugar and undergo massive processing. Some of the most dangerous artificial sweeteners & flavor enhancers include the following:

Aspartame: Originally approved in 1981 for use in food is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is composed of 50 percent phenylalanine, 40 percent aspartic acid and 10 percent methanol. Excess phenylalanine has been shown to disrupt normal serotonin levels in the nervous system which can lead to depressive, emotional & psychotic disorders. Individuals who continually consume aspartame will have elevated phenylalanine.

Monosodium glutamate: This extremely dangerous flavor enhancer and preservative is used in many canned and packaged foods. The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine has stated that it promotes the growth of cancer cells and is highly neurotoxic in the body. Other studies have linked it to liver damage, chronic inflammation, chronic pain and weight loss resistance. It is often included under deceptive names such as autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavorings, soy protein, whey protein isolate, etc.

Sources For This Article Include
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.livestrong.com/article/22015-dangerous-additives/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acesulfame_potassium
http://www.naturalnews.com/033914_Splenda_Essentials_sweetener.html

About the author:
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals

Cofee sweetener YUKAspartic acid: an excitotoxin that literally over excites neurons and destroys cells. Methanol is also a neurotoxin and its absorption is also increased when aspartame is heated above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. This heating breaks methanol into formaldehyde which damages the nervous system and is highly carcinogenic.Acefultame Potassium: This artificial sweetener is often times used in combination with other artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and/or aspartame to mask any form of after taste. This sweetener has been shown to stimulate insulin secretions even though it does not increase blood sugar. Elevated insulin increases inflammation and hampers immunity. Since Acefultame does not increase blood sugar this insulin response can stimulate reactive hypoglycemia. It has been linked to leukemia, breast cancer, thymus cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.Sucralose: This artificial sweetener is marketed as if it came from natural sugar. However, it is highly processed with three chlorine atoms that damage the microflora within the human gut. The biochemist Dr. James Bown says “sucralose is simply chlorinated sugar.” Sucralose has been shown to damage the thymus gland and inflame the liver and kidneys. Chlorine is a natural anti-septic that harms the human gut and destroys microflora leading to candida formation, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, obesity and cachexia.Sodium Benzoate: This is a type of water soluble preservative salt that is created by adding sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid. It is found in many soft drinks, energy drinks and other processed foods and drinks. Sodium Benzoate consumption has been strongly linked with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and inflammatory disorders such as asthma. The combination of sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which is quite common in soft drinks and popular energy drinks creates the highly carcinogenic substance benzene. Benzene is linked with many serious cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.Stealing artificial sweeteners

Diet colas DANGEROUS

              Similar/Related Articles:

1.                Avoiding Artificial Sweeteners? They Are In The Drinking Water
2.                Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Weight Gain
3.                The Aspartame Trap: You May Be Unknowingly Ingesting this Toxic Sweetener
4.                The Aspartame Trap: You May Be Unknowingly Ingesting this Toxic Sweetener
5.                Dr. Joseph Mercola Stresses Artificial      Sweetener Killing Americans
6.                The top 10 worst sources of aspartame
7.               How fizzy drinks can harm an unborn child
8.               Made rom Genetically Modified Bacteria Waste, Aspartame Risks Public Health
9.                Aspartame exposed — GM Bacteria used to      create deadly sweetener
10.                FDA says fresh milk is dangerous, but      chemical BPA is perfectly safe!
11.                Diet soda linked to heart attacks, strokes
12.                 Aspartame danger: Urgent warning about      tumors and seizures

Artificial

7 medicinal herbs and spices that help lower blood pressure

Thursday, April 26, 2012 by: Aurora Geib

Herbs-Spices-Overhead-View

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035689_medicinal_herbs_spices_blood_pressure.html#ixzz1tCN7KbB5

(NaturalNews) High blood pressure is an epidemic that is currently sweeping across America. The fast lifestyle of fast food, soda and stress is starting to catch up on the average American, so much so that an estimated one in every three Americans has high blood pressure. This puts them at risk of heart disease, stroke and even kidney disease. Moreover, this condition is costing the country 93.5 billion dollars in health care services.

Putting too much faith in the medical establishment to find a cure for your high blood pressure may no longer be advisable in the least. The number of prescription drugs on the market and the cascade of variations suggest that a cure for blood pressure is not in the offing anytime soon.

Despite all the consequences associated with high blood pressure, it is still a condition that is preventable and easily managed. Observing a healthy balanced diet and enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle can help avoid the risk of high blood pressure as well as reduce one that is already elevated.

There is no one identifiable cause for high blood pressure. A combination of factors like stress, alcohol, smoking, weight and lack of physical activity seem to have to come together to produce this problem, which is further compounded by family history and age.

Although it is a condition that if left unattended could gravitate to something worse, high blood pressure is not a disease. Taking proactive measures in preventing heart diseases, stroke and even kidney disease by managing your blood pressure may be the best decision you can make today.

While the idea of drug-free high blood pressure management through the use of herbs and spices has slowly been gaining ground, it is still treated with skepticism by the medical establishment. The reliance on prescription drugs, however, has not in any way shown that high blood pressure could be cured through this manner. There are still reports by patients who are currently using drugs to manage their high blood pressure that their condition has not shown any improvement, nor their quality of life. Instead, they have to deal with side effects and drugs that are expensive to maintain.

Spice up your life

In a published study featured in the Journal of Medicine, it was revealed that common spices can protect from heart disease and the deterioration brought about by aging. In the said study, researchers discovered a connection between the phenol content of certain herbs and spices and their capacity to prevent glycation and formation of AGE compounds that are responsible for premature aging and heart disease.

Stormtroopers, Gestapo like Raids, Corporate Money & Government marriage, creeping loss of freedoms, Indefinite Detention, overuse of Chemicals in foods, may indicate Creeping Fascism ! Here in USA ?

April 11, 2012 –  original by: Richard_Mills refined/updated by others

No term generates more confusion or misunderstanding than fascism, too many people believe that fascism exists solely in images on the History Channel – storm troopers , Gestapo, pounding thundering jackboots down cobblestone streets of occupied countries while throwing up the Roman salute. But fascism is not defined by clothing, symbolism or salutes.  Fascism is a totalitarian system of government that bases its economy on capitalism, it’s a marriage of government authority and military/police power managed by corporate influences with money & lobbying.

USA Police Violence"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private corporate power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a powerful group." Franklin D. Roosevelt Consider the following, all are characteristics of fascism:· A dictatorial ruling cabal runs the country· The military is increasingly being used to control the civilian population· The government repeatedly violates the U.S. Constitution· Government informants are spying on their fellow citizens· Controlled mass media· Fraudulent elections· Powerful and continuing nationalism, calls for national unity· Militaristic values are spreading in society and the power of the military is increasing, glorification of war· Obsession with national security· Disdain for the recognition of human rights, racism· Radical opposition to Communism/Socialism, Modernism and attacks on Liberals· Identification of enemies as a unifying cause· Corporate power is protected while labors power is suppressed - Fascism and capitalism are inseparable because the corporate power structure is authoritarian, and is geared to reward the elite owners, but not the workers. Few would argue against the fact that corporations control our government and have the dominant role in our society· Obsession with crime and punishment· Militarization of the police - Since the terrorist attacks in 2011 the US has spent $635 billion to militarize its police forces· A trend toward corporatism and systematic destruction of the middle class· Rampant cronyism and corruption· Intertwining of government and religion· A cult like leaderConsequences of fascism to the governed are the loss of rights and the enhancement of the elitists.Creeping FascismAggressive Policde Incidents

“It is a mistake to think that early in a fascist shift you see the profile of barbed wire against the sky. In the early days, things look normal on the surface; peasants were celebrating harvest festivals in Calabria in 1922; people were shopping and going to the movies in Berlin in 1931. Early on, as WH Auden put it, the horror is always elsewhere – while someone is being tortured, children are skating, ships are sailing: “dogs go on with their doggy life … How everything turns away/ Quite leisurely from the disaster.”

As Americans turn away quite leisurely, keeping tuned to internet shopping and American Idol, the foundations of democracy are being fatally corroded. Something has changed profoundly that weakens us unprecedentedly: our democratic traditions, independent judiciary and free press do their work today in a context in which we are “at war” in a “long war” – a war without end, on a battlefield described as the globe, in a context that gives the president – without US citizens realising it yet – the power over US citizens of freedom or long solitary incarceration, on his say-so alone.” Naomi Wolf, Fascist America in 10 Easy Steps, guardian.co.uk

Fascism is dangerous because its insidious, it is a natural degenerative process of a capitalistic society caused by the revolving door between government and the most powerful global corporations. Large multi-national corporations, through campaign finance and intense lobbying, come to dominant the legislative and political process.

“Fascism in America won’t come with jackboots, book burnings, mass rallies, and fevered harangues, nor will it come with black helicopters or tanks on the street. It won’t come like a storm but as a break in the weather, that sudden change of season you might feel when the wind shifts on an October evening: Everything is the same, but everything has changed. Something has gone, departed from the world, and a new reality will have taken its place.

All the old forms will still be there: legislatures, elections, campaigns plenty of bread and circuses. But consent of the governed will no longer apply; actual control of the state will have passed to a small and privileged group who rule for the benefit of their wealthy peers and corporate patrons.

Police Raids Increse sharply

To be sure, there will be factional conflicts among the elite, and a degree of debate will be permitted; but no one outside the privileged circle will be allowed to influence state policy. Dissidents will be marginalized usually by the people themselves. Deprived of historical knowledge by a thoroughly impoverished educational system designed to produce complacent consumers, left ignorant of current events by a corporate media devoted solely to profit, many will internalize the force-fed values of the ruling elite, and act accordingly. There will be little need for overt methods of control.

Police-raids growing

The rulers will act in secret, for reasons of national security, and the people will not be permitted to know what goes on in their name. Actions once unthinkable will be accepted as routine: government by executive fiat, state murder of enemies selected by the leader, undeclared wars, torture, mass detentions without charge, the looting of the national treasury, the creation of huge new security structures targeted at the populace. In time, this will be seen as normal, as the chill of autumn feels normal when summer is gone. It will all seem normal.” Chris Floyd, November 10, 2001 Moscow Times

Assassination

The President of the United States claims he has absolute arbitrary power over the life and liberty of every person on earth – that he can order the execution or kidnapping of any person, in any country.

The Obama administration has compiled a hit list of American citizens targeted for assassination. Obama’s top Terrorism adviser has suggested that the number of U.S. citizens targeted for assassination could be in the dozens.   

It’s obvious that if the present US administration thinks it can kill its own citizens with impunity the gloves are off for foreign nationals of any country.

Rendition

The Obama administration maintains that rendition is legal under U.S. law – rendition is the practice of snatching terrorism suspects from one country and rendering them into the custody of another.

SWAT raids expand

“U.S. law does not even preclude the United States from rendering an individual to a foreign location where he or she could be abused or tortured.” CIA assistant general counsel Daniel Pines

New Yorker journalist Jane Mayer says Egypt is the most common destination for suspects rendered by the United States.

According to aformer CIA agent, “If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria. If you want someone to disappear – never to see them again – you send them to Egypt.”

Indefinite Detention

The US federal government is looking for contractors to provide staff and supplies for “emergency camps” located around the country.

The recently passed National Authorization Defense Act has a provision which empowers the government to arrest Americans and hold them in these emergency camps – you should read that as detention camps – with no legal recourse.

Also under the new law the US military has the power to carry out domestic anti-terrorism operations on US soil. The NDAA authorizes the military to detain even US citizens without trial and no legal recourse.

NDAA section 102: “which purports to authorize the president of the United States to use the armed forces of the United States to detain American citizens who the president suspects are or have been substantial supports of al-Qaida, the Taliban, or associated forces, and to hold such citizens indefinitely.”

“The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist.” Winston Churchill

Checkpoint USA

TSA motto – “Dominate. Intimidate. Control.”

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) 25 Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams have run more than 9,300 unannounced checkpoints and other search operations in the last year.

Police-raids GROW

Department of Homeland Security officials have asked Congress for funding to add 12 more teams to the federal agency’s 25 VIPR units that are already scattered across the country.

“Uncontrolled search and seizure is one of the first and most effective weapons in the arsenal of every arbitrary government…Among deprivations of rights, none is so effective in cowing a population, crushing the spirit of the individual and putting terror in every heart.” Justice Robert Jackson, chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials

The $24 million in funding (in addition to the $110 million spent in fiscal year 2011) is in addition to the TSA’s role in airports which costs taxpayers $5 billion a year.

VIPR units, comprised of federal air marshals, surface transportation security inspectors, transportation security officers, behavior detection officers and explosive detection canine teams are responsible for manning terrorism and drug checkpoints on interstates, in bus and train terminals, seaports, at major sporting events and, according to a May 2011 Federal Court ruling, even a Santa Fe high school prom.

“TSA and VIPR searches also indoctrinate children to accept pat-downs, full-body scans, and the like, as a regular component of the relationship between government and its citizens. In this way, police state tactics will gradually grow in acceptance as simply “the way things are.” A child who has been molested by government officials since before he could read is unlikely to question such activities as an unjustified exercise of authority when an adult.

Furthermore, the normalization of intrusive searches arguably reworks the content of the protections provided by the Constitution, particularly the Fourth Amendment. Increasing use of pat-downs and other controversial screening procedures changes the definition of what is a “reasonable” search and seizure from a cultural perspective and therefore actually re-engineers the constitutional fabric by altering the definition of what is “reasonable” under the Fourth Amendment.

The increasing deployment of VIPR teams, obviously, also drastically undermines the right to privacy. There is both an intrinsic and instrumental value to privacy. Intrinsically, privacy is precious to the extent that it is a component of liberty. Part of citizenship in a free society is the expectation that one’s personal affairs and physical person are inviolable so long as one remains within the law. A robust conception of freedom includes the freedom from constant and intrusive government surveillance of one’s life. From this perspective, Fourth Amendment violations are objectionable for the simple fact that the government is doing something it has no license to do, i.e., invading the privacy of a law-abiding freeman by monitoring his daily activities and laying hands on his person without any evidence of wrongdoing.” John W. Whitehead, ohiofreepress.com

“First we are told by the U.S. Supreme Court that American citizens have no 4th Amendment protections at border crossings, even when standing on U.S. soil. Now TSA takes the next logical step and simply detains and searches U.S. citizens at wholly internal checkpoints.” Texas Congressman and US presidential candidate Ron Paul

Wiretapping the Internet

Federal law enforcement and national security officials argue that their wiretap abilities are dramatically decreasing as people increasingly communicate over the internet instead of by telephone.

Officials are asking Congress to require all services like BlackBerry with its encrypted e-mail transmitters and Skype because it’s software allows direct messaging to be technically capable of complying with a wiretap order.

Data Mining

Why is the US government spending time, money and resources on watching over those that help bring news to the masses?

According to Oxford University Press, A Dictionary of World History “The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. Political control may be exerted by means of a secret police force which operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional state.”

The National Operations Center (NOC)’s Media Monitoring Initiative has given the NCO and its Office of Operations Coordination and Planning (OPS) permission to retain data on users of social media, online networking platforms, news anchors, journalists, reporters and anyone else, including government officials and common bloggers, who may use “traditional and/or social media in real time to keep their audience situationally aware and informed.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s says such data could consist of any intellect “that permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information which is linked or linkable to that individual.”

The Department of Homeland Security, under the NOC Monitoring Initiative has been collecting information since 2010 and the data is shared with private sector businesses and international third parties.

Escaping The Matrix

Over 11,500 terrorist attacks occurred in 72 countries in 2010, resulting in almost 13,200 deaths – the number of attacks rose by almost five percent over the previous year.Of the 13,200 deaths caused by terrorism in 2010 just 15 were American private citizens, 13 died in Afghanistan, one in Iraq and one in Uganda.

The Heritage Foundation has compiled a list of 39 foiled internal terrorist plots against the US since September 2001.

“11,500 terrorist attacks occurred in 72 countries in 2010, resulting in almost 13,200 deaths” is an average of 1.14 deaths per attack; 39 x 1.14 = 44.46 lives saved.

In the ten years directly after 9/11 the increase in US domestic homeland security cost in excess of one trillion dollars – does not include foreign wars.

The risk of dying in the U.S. from terrorism is substantially less than the risk of dying in an accident caused by a deer.

2010 Leading Causes of Death in America

Heart Disease – 595,444 deaths

Cancer – 573,855 deaths

Chronic lung disease – 137,789 deaths

Strokes – 129,180 deaths

Accidents – 118,043 deaths

The actual leading causes of death in the US are:

Tobacco

Poor diet and physical inactivity

Alcohol consumption

Motor vehicle crashes

“The defining dramatic moment in the film occurs just after Morpheus invites Neo to choose between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill promises ‘the truth and nothing more.’ Neo takes the red pill and awakes to reality – something utterly different from anything Neo, or the audience, could have expected. What Neo had assumed to be reality turned out to be only a collective illusion, fabricated by the Matrix and fed to a population that is asleep, cocooned in grotesque embryonic pods. In the Matrix world, true reality and perceived reality exist on entirely different planes.” Escaping the Matrix by Richard K. Moore.

Is a red pill, and the natural degenerative process of a capitalistic society, on your radar screen?

If not, maybe they should be.

By Richard (Rick) Mills

www.aheadoftheherd.com

rick@aheadoftheherd.com

Top 10 herbs and spices for strengthening your immune system – Herbal Aloe Force

April 14, 2012 by: Aurora Geib & Don Porter

In its element, it has the capacity to remember diseases it has encountered and produce secretions and cells that can effectively defend the body from another recurrence. Moreover, it has an advanced communication system that can trigger an immediate response to an emergency and act according to the severity of the infection. Activated immune cells start producing substances that allow it to recruit other immune cells and guide it to the site of attack while at the same time allowing it to control behavior and growth.
However, when the system malfunctions (mostly by being overloaded by the STAGGERING use of thousands of chemicals, pesticides other unnatural elements, confusing & creating abnormal/inappropriate response to substances or cells that are native to the body, it causes possible autoimmune diseases that will require opens the marketing doors for intervention of medication that will further suppress the system’s response (Big Pharma along with their WHOLLY OWNED subsidiary the FDA. What causes the system to malfunction, due to so many powerful chemicals, is still unclear. It is believed that exposure to some drugs, chemicals or bacteria by people with severely overworked immune systems causes weakened susceptible genes to become impaired causing this phenomenon.     When totally compromised the body is left defenseless, thus leaving it vulnerable to disease.

Helping the body’s defense system

The body’s defense system is only as dependable as the support it gets. Some people are just blessed with a good set of genes that ensure a strong immune system. For others who are not as lucky, they must work for immunity by observing proper nutrition, sufficient rest, a healthy active lifestyle, plenty of sun and reduced stress. Recent studies have shown that getting enough of these while cutting down on unhealthy habits and avoiding processed foods restores the immune system to peak performance.
Observing proper sanitation also plays a vital role in keeping the immune system working. It is recognized as the best preventive medicine and its actual practice can reduce outbreaks and diseases, translating to significant economic, environmental as well as social benefits.  Aloe is also important healer.
Antibiotics and vaccination as remedies to assist the body’s defenses against disease have now been debunked by recent findings. Of late, antibiotics have been shown to attack beneficial bacteria in the stomach and suppress immune functions.

Foods that naturally boost the immune system

Foods that boost the body’s immune system can offer a lot of healthy options for those who wish to be more conscious in what they take in. To be sustained, the immune system heavily depends on the stomach for support. Malnourished individuals are more susceptible to disease as opposed to those who observe a healthy nutritious diet. Below are some of these examples:

1. Echinacea – Echinacea is a popular herb that has been identified to boost immunity. Combined with goldenseal, another herb, or enjoyed alone as tea, this member of the daisy family has been found to prevent and treat upper respiratory tract infections as well as the common cold.
2. Ginseng – This herb has many varieties. The most commonly studied variety is Panax ginseng, also known as Korean ginseng. Its main active component, ginsenosides, has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Clinical research studies have demonstrated that it may improve immune and psychological functions as well as conditions related to diabetes.
3. Garlic – This spice has had a long history of medicinal value. In a recent study conducted by Dr. Ellen Tattelman, an assistant professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, it was reconfirmed that garlic indeed has cardiovascular, anti-microbial and antineoplastic properties. It’s also a perfect spice to use when doing sauteed dishes.
4. Bell peppers- This pepper variety does not contain capsaicin, unlike its other feisty cousins. On the contrary, it is sweet and crunchy and contains the carotenoid lycopene which lowers the risk of cancer; beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A; and Zeaxanthin, known to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.
5. Ginger – This herb has been shown to reduce inflammation, cardiovascular conditions, blood clots and cholesterol. In a study, researchers found that animal subjects given ginger extracts had a significant reduction in cholesterol and blood clotting qualities. Moreover, it has been observed to inhibit the behavior of genes connected with inflammation.
6. Turmeric- This spice contains curcumin, which has notable antioxidant properties. It also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and stomach soothing benefits. It reduces inflammation by stimulating the adrenal glands to increase the hormone that lessens inflammation. Animal studies on this herb have revealed that turmeric protects the liver from the adverse effects of alcohol and certain toxins. Turmeric also helps in digestive problems by stimulating bile flow.
7. Gingko Biloba- Gingko biloba’s leaves contain antioxidant compounds called bilobalides and ginkgolides that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Moreover, it has also been found to protect against radiation. In a study using animal subjects, ginkgo was demonstrated to have protected the test subjects against radiation poisoning. The latest research also suggests that extracts of this herb can neutralize oxidizing agents and free radicals caused in the cells due to radiation, thus preventing cell death. In fact, NaturalNews recently reported that ginkgo extracts reduce brain damage by up to 50%.
8. Ganoderma- This is a bitter mushroom also known as reishi. It has long been a popular herb in Chinese medicine attributed to assisting in longevity and health. Further studies on this oriental herb reveal that it strengthens immunity and combats cancer. Moreover, it has antioxidant properties and provides relief from urinary tract infections.
9. Astralagus – Also from China, this herb stimulates the immune system and aids in digestion and adrenal gland functions. It is also a diuretic. The effectiveness of this herb is due to polysaccharides, saponins and flavonoids. It has also been taken to combat the common cold and flu. Its digestive health benefits demonstrate the lowering of stomach acidity, resulting to an increase in the body’s metabolic rates and the promotion of waste elimination. See Herbal Aloe Force
10. Cat’s claw – This herb from Peru is commonly used for stomach problems. Recently, however, it is becoming known as an exceptional immune response stimulator that helps the body to fight off infections and degenerative diseases. It contains oxindole alkaloids enhancing the immune system’s capacity to engulf and destroy pathogens.

See Herbal Aloe Force  The “Essiac” Herbs, Cat’s Claw Herb, Astragalus, Pau d’ Arco, Chamomile, Hawthorne Berry actual contents ALL – (Aloe Vera Leaf, Cat’s Claw Bark Extract, Chamomile Flowers Extract, Burdock Root Extract, Hawthorn Berry Extract, Astragalus Root Extract, Sheep Sorrel Herb Extract, Pau d’ Arco Bark Extract, Slippery Elm Bark Extract, Rhubarb Root Extract
From a practical perspective, taking in food which boosts the immune system while enjoying it at the same time can be a cost effective way to maintain health. Coupled with a healthy lifestyle, sufficient rest and a positive outlook in life, staying healthy does not have to cost an arm and a leg.

 
Sources for this article:

www.herbalanswers.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035530_immune_system_herbs_spices.html#ixzz1s0rCWVE8

Sugar – the “White Death”

Sugar is NOT your friend. It may “feel like” your friend when it comforts you (due to the beta-endorphin rush in your brain), but sugar is actually your enemy. Truth be told, regular consumption of sugary foods is one of the worst things that you can do to your health. Modern scientific research has shown us, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that sugar in your food (in all its myriad of forms) is taking a devastating toll on your health.

Sugars Deadly

Just take a look at the sugar consumption trends of the past 300 years:

• In 1700, the average person  consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
• In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
• In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
• In 2012, more than 50% of all Americans consume 1/2 pound of sugar PER DAY—translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

                        In 1890, only 3 people out of 100,000 had diabetes. In 2012, diabetes strikes almost 8,000 out of every 100,000 people!

The “sugar rush” has really been targeted at children. American children are consuming about TEN TIMES as much sugar as they were in 1900, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is the average American’s largest source of calories! Highly addictive HFCS contains fructose and glucose, but they are NOT bound together (as they are in table sugar) so your body doesn’t need to break it down. Therefore, the fructose is absorbed immediately, going straight to your liver, which turns it into FAT (VLDL and triglycerides).

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Fructose also tricks the body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism (it turns off the appetite-control system. Fructose does not appropriately stimulate insulin, which in turn does not suppress ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) and doesn’t stimulate leptin (the “satiety hormone”), which together result in your eating more and developing insulin resistance.”

coke pepsi = Lots of sugar

But just because you avoid HFCS doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear. Excess intake of ALL processed sugars results in compromised immune function (decreasing the white blood cells’ ability to destroy bacteria), obesity, and diabetes. Remember, sugar is cancer’s favorite food! And since half of the white sugar in the USA comes from sugar beets, you should remember that most beets are now genetically modified. Yet another reason to stay away from the “White Death” isn’t it?

I personally recommend that you avoid white sugar, brown sugar, agave, and all artificial sweeteners. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s best to stick with stevia, xylitol, raw honey/maple syrup, molasses, and coconut sugar. The bottom line: If you want to be healthy, you MUST take control of your sugar intake so that it doesn’t take control over you.

Diet Sodas = MUCH sugar

It is easy to become confused by the various sugars and sweeteners, so here is a basic overview:

• Saccharide = sugar

• Glucose (aka “dextrose”   or “grape sugar”), galactose (“milk sugar”), and fructose (“fruit  sugar”) are all “monosaccharides” (i.e. single sugar molecules), known as “simple sugars.” The primary difference between them  is how your body metabolizes them.
• Glucose is the form of energy you were designed to run on. Every cell in your body uses glucose for energy.
• High amounts of fructose are  very damaging to the body, since if fructose isn’t burned immediately for energy, it travels directly to the liver, where it is converted to      triglycerides (fats). Excess triglycerides “disaccharide” comprised  of 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
• “Refined” white sugar (pure sucrose) is washed with a syrup solution, then with hot water, clarified (usually chemically) to remove impurities, decolorized, concentrated, evaporated, re-boiled until crystals form, centrifuged again to separate,  then dried. By this point, any remnants of “natural goodness” and “nutritional value” have completely disappeared! Quite frankly, white sugar should be considered to be an “industrial product” rather than a “food.”
• “Brown sugar” is just white sugar mixed with molasses.
• “Raw” sugar is not really raw – it has been cooked, and most of the minerals and vitamins are gone. But      it’s probably a little better than refined white sugar because it has a little of the molasses remaining.
• Aspartame is a neurotoxic rat poison … need I say more?
• Splenda (sucralose) is NOT a sugar, despite its deceptive marketing slogan, “made from sugar.” It’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame, though not quite as harmful.
• Honey is approximately 50% fructose, but in natural (raw) form contains many health benefits.
• Stevia is an extremely sweet  herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant, which is completely safe (in its natural form).
• Agave nectar is made from the agave plant, which is a cactus. Sound natural, right? Like maple syrup from a tree, or honey from a beehive. Only it isn’t. Agave is HIGHLY      processed, and the end product does not even remotely resemble the original agave plant. And agave is approximately 80% fructose (much higher than honey and maple syrup).
• HFCS is 55% fructose and 45% glucose.
• Rapadura is the pure juice extracted from the sugar cane (using a press), which is then evaporated  over low heats, whilst being stirred with paddles, then seive ground to produce a grainy sugar. It has not been cooked at high heats, and spun to change it into crystals, and the molasses has not been separated from the  sugar. “Sucanat” is the USA trade name for Rapadura.
• Coconut sugar is made from the sweet watery sap that drips from the cut flower buds of fresh coconuts. It has a low glycemic index (GI) and is rich in amino acids. It is typically less than 10% fructose, with sucrose being the primary component.
• Xylitol is a sweetener known as  a “sugar alcohol” (or polyol). Sugar alcohols are neither sugars      nor alcohols – they are carbohydrates (with structures that happen to  resemble sugar and alcohol). Xylitol is extracted from birch cellulose.  Unlike sugar, Xylitol is slowly absorbed, does not cause a rapid blood sugar increase, and does not require an immediate insulin response from the body to be metabolized. And because Xylitol is anti-bacterial, many      studies have shown that it actually helps prevent dental cavities, ear  infections, and some evidence suggests that it helps prevent gum disease.

Cokes lots of SUGAR

(CBS) Is sugar toxic?

Watch the Segment »

60 minutes SUGAR Toxic

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer.

Web Extras

• Is sugar toxic?

• Sugar and kids: The toxic truth
• Calories: not all created equal

(CBS News) If you are what you eat, then what does it mean that the average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year? Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer. Some physicians go so far as to call sugar a toxin.

The following script is from “Sugar” which aired on April 1, 2012. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the correspondent. Denise Schrier Cetta and Sumi Aggarwal, producers.

The chances are good that sugar is a bigger part of your daily diet than you may realize which is why our story tonight is so important. New research coming out of some of America’s most respected institutions is starting to find that sugar, the way many people are eating it today, is a toxin and could be a driving force behind some of this country’s leading killers, including heart disease.

60 Minutes Overtime

Sugar and kids: The toxic truth »

As a result of these findings, an anti-sugar campaign has sprung up, led by Dr. Robert Lustig, a California endocrinologist, who believes the consumption of added sugars has plunged America into a public health crisis.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Is sugar toxic?

Dr. Robert Lustig: I believe it is.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Do you ever worry that that’s– it just sounds a little bit over the top?

Dr. Robert Lustig: Sure. All the time. But it’s the truth.

Dr. Robert Lustig is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco and a pioneer in what is becoming a war against sugar.

Motivated by his own patients — too many sick and obese children – Dr. Lustig has concluded that sugar, more than any other substance, is to blame.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: What are all these various diseases that you say are linked to sugar?

Dr. Robert Lustig: Obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease itself.

Lustig says the American lifestyle is killing us.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: And most of it you say is preventable?

Dr. Robert Lustig: Seventy-five percent of it is preventable.

While Dr. Lustig has published a dozen scientific articles on the evils of sugar, it was his lecture on YouTube, called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” that brought his message to the masses.

[YouTube Video: I'm standing here today to recruit you in the war against bad food.]

By “bad food” Dr. Lustig means the obvious things such as table sugar, honey, syrup, sugary drinks and desserts, but also just about every processed food you can imagine, where sugar is often hidden: yogurts and sauces, bread, and even peanut butter. And what about the man-made, often vilified sweetener, high fructose corn syrup?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Is it worse than just table sugar?

Dr. Robert Lustig: No. ‘Cause it’s the exact same. They are basically equivalent. The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic.

Since the 1970s, sugar consumption has gone down nearly 40 percent, but high fructose corn syrup has more than made up the difference. Dr. Lustig says they are both toxic because they both contain fructose — that’s what makes them sweet and irresistible.

Dr. Robert Lustig: We love it. We go out of our way to find it. I think one of the reasons evolutionarily is because there is no food stuff on the planet that has fructose that is poisonous to you. It is all good. So when you taste something that’s sweet, it’s an evolutionary Darwinian signal that this is a safe food.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: We were born this way?

Dr. Robert Lustig: We were born this way.

Central to Dr. Lustig’s theory is that we used to get our fructose mostly in small amounts of fruit — which came loaded with fiber that slows absorption and consumption — after all, who can eat 10 oranges at a time? But as sugar and high fructose corn syrup became cheaper to refine and produce, we started gorging on them. Americans now consume 130 pounds per person a year — that’s a third of a pound every day.

Dr. Lustig believes those sweeteners are helping fuel an increase in the most deadly disease in America: heart disease. For years, he’s been a controversial voice.

[Kimber Stanhope: Here is our oral isotope...]

But now, studies done by Kimber Stanhope, a nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis are starting to back him up. She’s in the middle of a groundbreaking, five-year study which has already shown strong evidence linking excess high fructose corn syrup consumption to an increase in risk factors for heart disease and stroke. That suggests calories from added sugars are different than calories from other foods.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: The mantra that you hear from most nutritionists is that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

Kimber Stanhope: And I think the results of the study showed clearly that is not true.

Stanhope’s conclusions weren’t easy to come by. Nutrition studies are expensive and difficult. Stanhope has paid groups of research subjects to live in this hospital wing for weeks at a time, under a sort of 24-hour lockdown. They undergo scans and blood tests – every calorie they ingest, meticulously weighed and prepared.

Kimber Stanhope: They’re never out of our sight. So we do know that they are consuming exactly what we need them to consume.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: And they’re not sneaking any candy bars on the side.

Kimber Stanhope: Yeah, right, exactly.

For the first few days, participants eat a diet low in added sugars, so baseline blood levels can be measured.

[Research assistant: So remember you guys have to finish all of your Kool-Aid. ]

Then, 25 percent of their calories are replaced with sweetened drinks and Stanhope’s team starts drawing blood every 30 minutes around the clock. And those blood samples? They revealed something disturbing.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: And what are you starting to see?

Kimber Stanhope: We found that the subjects who consumed high fructose corn syrup had increased blood levels of LDL cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: How quickly did these changes occur?

Kimber Stanhope: Within two weeks.

Kimber Stanhope’s study suggests that when a person consumes too much sweet stuff, the liver gets overloaded with fructose and converts some of it into fat. Some of that fat ends up in the bloodstream and helps generate a dangerous kind of cholesterol called small dense LDL. These particles are known to lodge in blood vessels, form plaque and are associated with heart attacks.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Did it surprise you when you first got these results back?

Kimber Stanhope: I would have to say I was surprised because when I saw our data, I started drinking and eating a whole lot less sugar. I would say our data surprised me.

So imagine, for these healthy young people, drinking a sweetened drink might be just as bad for their hearts as the fatty cheeseburgers we’ve all been warned about since the 1970s. That’s when a government commission mandated that we lower fat consumption to try and reduce heart disease.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: So with the best of intentions, they say, “Time to reduce fat in the American diet?”

Dr. Robert Lustig: Exactly. And we did. And guess what? Heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and death are skyrocketing.

Dr. Lustig believes that’s primarily because we replaced a lot of that fat with added sugars.

Dr. Robert Lustig: Take the fat out of food, it tastes like cardboard. And the food industry knew that. So they replaced it with sugar.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: This idea that sugar increases this particularly bad LDL, the small dense particles that are associated with heart disease. Do most doctors– do they know this?

Dr. Robert Lustig: No, they do not know this. This is new.

And it turns out, sugar has become a major focus in cancer research too. Lewis Cantley, is looking at the connection.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: If you limit your sugar you decrease your chances of developing cancer?

Lewis Cantley: Absolutely.

Cantley, a Harvard professor and the head of the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, says when we eat or drink sugar, it causes a sudden spike in the hormone insulin, which can serve as a catalyst to fuel certain types of cancers.

Lewis Cantley: What we’re beginning to learn is that insulin can cause adverse effects in the various tissues. And of particular concern is cancer.

Why? Nearly a third of some common cancers — including breast and colon cancers — have something called insulin receptors on their surface. Insulin binds to these receptors and signals the tumor to start consuming glucose.

Lewis Cantley: This is your body…

Every cell in our body needs glucose to survive. But the trouble is, these cancer cells also use it to grow.

Lewis Cantley: So if you happen to have the tumor that has insulin receptors on it then it will get stimulated to take up the glucose that’s in the bloodstream rather than go into fat or muscle, the glucose goes into the tumor. And the tumor uses it to grow.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: So you’ve just seen that tumor turn blue which is essentially reflective of glucose going into it.

Lewis Cantley: That’s right.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: So these cancers, much in the same way that muscle will say, “Hey, I’d like some of that glucose, the fat says, “I would like some of that glucose,” the cancers have learned how to do this themselves as well?

Lewis Cantley: Yes. So they have evolved the ability to hijack that flow of glucose that’s going by in the bloodstream into the tumor itself.

Lewis Cantley’s research team is working on developing drugs that will cut off the glucose supply to cancer cells and keep them from growing. But until there’s a breakthrough, Cantley’s advice? Don’t eat sugar. And if you must, keep it to a minimum.

Lewis Cantley: In fact– I– you know, I live my life that way. I rarely eat sugar.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: When you see a sugary drink or if I were to offer you one, what– with all that you know, what’s going through your mind?

Lewis Cantley: I probably would turn it down and get a glass of water.

But for most of us, that’s easier said than done…

Eric Stice: It turns out sugar is much more addictive than I think we had sort of realized early on.

Eric Stice, a neuroscientist at the Oregon Research Institute, is using functional MRI scanners to learn how our brains respond to sweetness.

Eric Stice: Sugar activates our brain in a special way. That’s very reminiscent of, you know, drugs like cocaine.

That’s right. Cocaine.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Let’s give it a shot…

I climbed into the MRI scanner to see how my brain would respond. That’s a straw that’s been rigged to deliver a tiny sip of soda into my mouth.

Eric Stice: Stay as still as you can, ok?

Just as it hit my tongue, the scanner detected increased blood rushing to certain regions of my brain. In these images, the yellow areas show that my reward region is responding to the sweet taste. Dopamine – a chemical that controls the brain’s pleasure center – is being released, just as it would in response to drugs or alcohol.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: So dopamine is released. That sort of makes me feel good. I’m experiencing some pleasure from having this Coke.

Eric Stice: Right, that euphoric effect.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: So far be it for people to realize this ’cause sugar is everywhere, but you’re saying this is one of the most addictive substances possibly that we have?

Eric Stice: It certainly is very good at firing the reward regions in our brain.

Eric Stice says by scanning hundreds of volunteers, he’s learned that people who frequently drink sodas or eat ice cream or other sweet foods may be building up a tolerance, much like drug users do. As strange as it sounds, that means the more you eat, the less you feel the reward. The result: you eat more than ever.

Eric Stice: If you overeat these on a regular basis it causes changes in the brain that basically it blunts your reward region response to the food, so then you eat more and more to achieve the same satisfaction you felt originally.

With all this new science emerging, we wanted to hear from the sugar industry, so we visited Jim Simon, who’s on the board of the Sugar Association, at a sugar cane farm in Louisiana.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Would it surprise you that almost every scientist that we talked to in researching this story told us they are eliminating all added sugars. They’re getting rid of it because they’re concerned about the health impacts.

Jim Simon: To say that the American consuming public is going to completely omit, eliminate, sweeteners out of their diet I don’t think gets us there.

Simon cautions that eliminating sugar wrongly vilifies one food, rather than working towards the long-term solution of reducing calories and exercising.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: You know, a lot of people, Jim, are saying that sugar is different. That it is bad for your heart and is causing a lot of the problems we’re talking about. It is addictive and in some cases might even fuel cancers. What would you – I mean you’ve looked at this. You must have looked at some of these studies. What do you say about that?

Jim Simon: The science is not completely clear here.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: But some of that’s, but some of these studies exist. I mean, what is a consumer, what are they to make of all that?

Jim Simon: Well, I would say to them, that they’ve got to approach, their diet in balance.

Dr. Robert Lustig agrees — we need a balanced diet — but his idea of balance is a drastic reduction in sugar consumption. To that end he co-authored an American Heart Association report recommending men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. And women, just 100 calories. That’s less than the amount in just one can of soda.

Dr. Robert Lustig: Ultimately this is a public health crisis. And when it’s a public health crisis, you have to do big things and you have to do them across the board. Tobacco and alcohol are perfect examples. We have made a conscious choice that we’re not going to get rid of them, but we are going to limit their consumption. I think sugar belongs in this exact same wastebasket.

Why You Really Should Eat an Apple a Day

By Larissa Long

Apples protect against four of the most common and dangerous diseases

We’ve all heard the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And it turns out it’s true — apples have many health benefits that could potentially keep you out of the doctor’s office. Thanks to a clinical review conducted by researcher Dianne A. Hyson from California State University in Sacramento, we now have a much broader understanding of the sheer number of health advantages that come along with consuming apples and apple products.

What Makes Apples So Nutritious?

Apple

Apples are a rich source of dietary polyphenols, which are one type of free radical-fighting antioxidants in the body. This high polyphenol content in apples is what makes them so protective, nutritious, and delicious.

The two biggest subclasses of polyphenols in apples are flavonoids and phenolic acids. Flavonoids are further broken down into more than 4,000 categories, three of the most abundant in apples being flavanols, flavonols and anthocyanidins.

Let’s take a look at how this high polyphenol content translates to protection against some of the most common and dangerous health conditions out there — cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Cancer

The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that one-third of all cancer cases could be prevented by an improved diet, especially higher fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption. Several studies have shown that apples, in particular, are associated with reduced risk of cancer.

In one such study, researchers examined fresh apple intake and cancer risk of more than 6,000 Italian participants. They found that eating one or more medium-sized apples (approximately 166 grams, or just shy of 6 ounces) per day was associated with a decreased cancer risk compared to eating less than one apple per day.

The biggest risk reduction was seen in cancer of the larynx (41%), colon/rectum (30%), breast (24%), ovary (24 percent), and esophagus (22%).

Cardiovascular Disease

Most recent estimates state that 80 millions Americans have some type of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, angina, heart failure and stroke.

Oxidative damage appears to be a top cause of cardiovascular disease due to the destruction of DNA and other cellular components. Antioxidants, such as those found in apples, are so important because they scavenge free radicals and counteract oxidative damage.

Elevated “bad” LDL cholesterol levels are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and apples have also been shown to improve lipid profiles.

In one study, hamsters were given either apples to approximate human intake of 600 grams (21 ounces) per day, or apple juice to approximate 500 mL (17 ounces) per day. After 12 weeks, both the apples and the apple juice significantly reduced cholesterol (11 percent and 24 percent, respectively) and lowered the ratio of total cholesterol to “good” HDL cholesterol (25% and 38%, respectively).

Diabetes

The incidence of type 2 or “adult onset” diabetes is rising at an alarming rate, thanks to poor diet choices, lack of exercise, and the resulting obesity.

To see what effect apples had on diabetes risk, researchers examined women in a large, ongoing trial called the Women’s Health Study. They identified apples as the only flavonoid-rich food that could potentially have protective capabilities. Compared to no apple consumption, the consumption of two to six apples per week led to a 27 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while one apple per day decreased the risk by 28 percent.

Osteoporosis

Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, and fruits and vegetables are thought to provide many of the nutrients necessary for strong, healthy bones. Only a few studies have examined apples and apple products specifically in relation to bone health, but preliminary results show great promise.

In one crossover study, 15 female participants each consumed a meal on three different occasions that consisted of either fresh, peeled apples, unsweetened apple sauce, or candy.

Urine samples collected at 1.5, 3, and 4.5 hours after consumption showed that the meals that included apples and apple sauce resulted in less calcium loss compared to the control (candy) meal.

Develop an Appetite for Apples

In addition to these four conditions, the author of this review also determined that apples and apple products have beneficial effects on Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline associated with normal aging, weight management and asthma.

What’s most exciting about all of this research is that achieving these great results is so simple. It really does take about one apple a day to experience the wonderful protective benefits against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Not only that, but your choices for apples are practically endless: Granny Smith, Macintosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Cameo, Braeburn and Gala are just a few of the literally thousands of choices available to you. And, unlike many fruits, apples are always “in season” and available year-round. Just try to purchase certified organic or pesticide-free apples whenever possible, as apples tend to have higher pesticide residue levels than other fruits and vegetables.

Whole fruits are always the best option when it comes to nutritional value, but as many of these studies showed, even processed apple foods like applesauce and apple juice had antioxidant capabilities. But remember, if you choose to eat or drink processed apple products, be sure to choose sugar-free or reduced sugar versions

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FDA’s Huge Conflicts of Interest with Big Pharma

FDA-money-Graft-Corrution-Greed-Self Serving

March 13, 2012

Tragically, the drug they endorsed is killing the women who take it. Why is FDA doing this?

The birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin, which were endorsed by an FDA advisory committee last December, contain a drug called drospirenone. Women who take it are nearly 7 imes more likely to develop thromboembolism (obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot, which can cause deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, heart attack, and death) compared to women who do not take any contraceptive pill, and twice the risk of women who take a contraceptive pill containing levonorgestrel. Thousands of women have filed a lawsuit against Bayer, saying they were injured by Yaz or Yasmin.

Why would the FDA approve such a dangerous drug? An investigation by the Washington Monthly and the British medical journal BMJ found that at least four members of the advisory committeehave either done work for the drugs’ manufacturers or licensees or received research funding from them. The members reported their industry ties to FDA, but FDA decided it didn’t matter and didn’t make the disclosures public.

Darth Vader is Leading the FDA

Each of those four panelists who received money from the pill’s manufacturer voted in favor of the pill. Interestingly, the committee’s ruling that the drug’s benefit outweighs the risks was decided by a four-vote margin.

Ironically, while the FDA allowed voting by advisors with business connections to drospirenone, the agency barred another advisor and former researcher, Sidney M. Wolfe, on the grounds that he has an “intellectual conflict of interest.” Six years earlier, Wolfe had advised his readers not to take Yaz based on several years of data—and this was before the latest studies had been published. Because of this, he was barred from voting.

So apparently people with monetary conflicts of interest are allowed to vote, just not those with “intellectual” conflicts of interest!

FDA also didn’t provide the panel with recently unsealed court documents revealing that former FDA commissioner David Kessler had accused Bayer of hiding data on blood clot risks associated with Yaz and Yasmin. Kessler also reported that they paid $450,000 to a high profile gynecologist to sponsor the pill, including off-label use of the drug, during her book tour.

FDA a Dangerous place to be SHUT DOWN

Bayer, of course, has a strong vested interest in getting endorsements for Yaz and Yasmin—in 2009 Yaz was top-selling birth control in the US.

This is not the first time that an FDA advisory panel has recommended an unsafe drug. As we reported three weeks ago, an FDA committee endorsed the weight loss drug Qnexa, a diet pill that has documented risks of causing birth defects and heart problems.

The conflicts of interest don’t stop with government bodies; they are also rampant among medical professionals of all kinds. Drug companies pay doctors, researchers, and medical experts for speaking engagements and “consulting” jobs—all of which is perfectly legal despite a blatant conflict of interest. The public interest news organization ProPublica has a Dollars for Docs database that shows more than $760 million in payments from drug cos to physicians and other healthcare providers for consulting, speaking, research, and expenses. (For more about pharmaceutical conflicts of interest, please see our other article in this issue!)  It is estimated that close to 50% of FDA employees leave & work for Drug Cos.

Many of these physicians and researchers are employed by the state and paid with tax dollars—and they are the ones shaping states’ health policies. In Texas alone, from 2009 through early 2011, researchers and physicians received at least $57 million in cash payments, research money, free meals, and other benefits—on top of their quite generous salaries. The Texas attorney general has sued Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent co., Johnson & Johnson, for offering kickbacks to state health officials to get the schizophrenia drug Risperdal on the approved list of medications paid for by the state.

A provision in the Obama healthcare reform act will require pharmaceutical cos and manufacturers of medical supplies to disclose all “payments of value” to physicians and medical professionals on a federal government website. This includes food, entertainment, gifts, travel, consulting fees, honoraria, research funding, stocks, conference funding, and royalties—anything in excess of $100 a year. Penalties for noncompliance can reach as high as $1 million.

Critics are concerned that the disclosure law won’t show context—some doctors, for example, might spend months studying the effects of the drug, but people visiting the website will assume that all such payments are payoffs, thus tarnishing the reputations of supposedly upright medical professionals. But how can one be truly independent if one takes money from a drug co? The disclosure provision merely attempts to bring greater transparency to the relationship without outlawing the practice altogether. The rule may also bring down healthcare costs if doctors stop recommending the more expensive drugs which are marketed so heavily.

How FDA and Big Pharma mislead millions into taking dangerous anti-depressants

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035113_Big_Pharma_FDA_anti-depressants.html#ixzz1pf6GGt7r

Biotech spends over half a billion dollars

bribing Congress; FDA evades law