Monsanto Looks to Sell Dairy Hormone Business

After struggling to gain consumer acceptance, Monsanto on Wednesday announced that it would try to sell its business of producing an artificial growth hormone for dairy cows. The company will focus instead on its thriving business of selling seeds and developing ways to improve crops.

The decision comes as more retailers, saying they are responding to consumer demand, are selling dairy products from cows not treated with the artificial hormone.

Wal-Mart, Kroger and Publix are among the retailers that now sell house-brand milk from untreated cows. Almost all of the fresh milk sold by Dean Foods, the nation’s largest milk bottler, also comes from cows that were not treated with the artificial hormone, a spokeswoman said.

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The Truth About Vaccines By World Renowned Scientist!  SHOCKING VIDEO!!   Merck Confesses

Why You Need Enzymes

by Sally Fallon with Mary G Enig, PhD

An important branch of twentieth century nutritional research, running parallel to and equal in significance to the discovery of vitamins and minerals, has been the discovery of enzymes and their function. Enzymes are complex proteins that act as catalysts in almost every biochemical process that takes place in the body. Their activity depends on the presence of adequate vitamins and minerals. Many enzymes incorporate a single molecule of a trace mineral —such as copper, iron or zinc —without which the enzyme cannot function. In the 1930's, when enzymes first came to the attention of biochemists, some 80 were identified; today over 5,000 have been discovered.

Enzymes fall into one of three major classifications. The largest is the metabolic enzymes which play a role in all bodily processes including breathing, talking, moving, thinking, behavior and maintenance of the immune system. A subset of these metabolic enzymes acts to neutralize poisons and carcinogens such as pollutants, DDT and tobacco smoke, changing them into less toxic forms that the body can eliminate. The second category is the digestive enzymes, of which there are about 22 in number. Most of these are manufactured by the pancreas. They are secreted by glands in the duodenum (a valve that separates the stomach from the small intestine) and work to break down the bulk of partially digested food leaving the stomach.

The enzymes we need to consider when planning our diets are the third category, the food enzymes. These are present in raw foods and they initiate the process of digestion in the mouth and upper stomach. Food enzymes include proteases for digesting protein, lipases for digesting fats and amylases for digesting carbohydrates. Amylases in saliva contribute to the digestion of carbohydrates while they are being chewed, and all enzymes found in food continue this process while it rests in the upper or cardiac portion of the stomach. The upper stomach secretes no digestive juices whatsoever, but acts much like the crop of a bird or the first stomach of ruminant animals. It can be described as a holding tank where the enzymes present in raw foods do their work on what we have eaten before this more or less partially digested mass passes on to the lower stomach, about 30 minutes after food is ingested. Hydrochloric acid secretion occurs only in the lower stomach and is stimulated by the passage of food from the upper to lower stomach. (This hydrochloric acid does not digest meat, as is commonly believed, but activates the enzyme pepsinogen to its active form pepsin that digests protein.)

Enzyme research has revealed the importance of raw foods in the diet. The enzymes in raw food help start the process of digestion and reduce the body's need to produce digestive enzymes. All enzymes are deactivated at a wet-heat temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, and a dry-heat temperature of about 150 degrees. It is one of those happy designs of nature that foods and liquid at 117 degrees can be touched without pain, but liquids over 118 degrees will burn. Thus we have a built-in mechanism for determining whether or not the food we are eating still contains its enzyme content.

A diet composed exclusively of cooked food puts a severe strain on the pancreas, drawing down its reserves, so to speak. If the pancreas is constantly overstimulated to produce the enzymes that ought to be in foods, the result over time will be inhibited function. Humans eating an enzyme-poor diet, comprised primarily of cooked food, use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in the outpouring of secretions from the pancreas and other digestive organs. The result, according to the late Dr. Edward Howell, a noted pioneer in the field of enzyme research, is a shortened life-span, illness, and lowered resistance to stress of all types. He points out that humans and animals on a diet comprised largely of cooked food have enlarged pancreas organs while other glands and organs, notably the brain, actually shrink in size. His research also uncovered the fact that the body recycles enzymes by absorbing them through the intestine and colon and transporting them in the blood back to the upper intestine to be used again. The body is thus designed to conserve its precious enzyme stores.

Dr. Howell formulated the following Enzyme Nutrition Axiom: The length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increased use of food enzymes promotes a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential. Another rule can be expressed as follows: Whole foods give good health; enzyme-rich foods provide limitless energy.

Almost all traditional societies incorporate raw, enzyme-rich foods into their cuisines —not only vegetable foods but also raw animal proteins and fats in the form of raw dairy foods, raw muscle and organ meats, and raw fish. These diets also traditionally include a certain amount of cultured or fermented foods, which have an enzyme content that is actually enhanced by the fermenting and culturing process. The Eskimo diet, for example, is composed in large portion of raw fish that has been allowed to "autolate" or "predigest," that is, become putrefied or semi-rancid; to this predigested food they ascribe their stamina. The culturing of dairy products, found almost universally among pre-industrialized peoples, enhances the enzyme content of milk, cream, butter and cheese.

From Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges
Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
by Sally Fallon and Mary G Enig, Ph D.
Available from NewTrends Publishing (877) 707-1776

Enzyme Nutrion and Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity
by Edward Howell are available from
Radiant Life (888)593-8333

Raw Foods Diets

RAW FOOD

by Suzanne Havala Hobbs, DrPH, RD

It is well established that vegetarian lifestyles are associated with health advantages. The American Dietetic Association states that "… appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases." (16)

Much of what is known about vegetarian diets and related health effects is based on research on lacto ovo vegetarian diets. Relatively little information is available about the health and nutrition aspects of vegan diets, however, as well as variants such as raw foods or living foods diets. A review of the literature was conducted to determine the extent to which there is scientific documentation of the health and nutrition aspects of raw foods diets as a first step toward further study of this dietary practice.

Worldwide, little research data is available on the subject of raw foods diets. The majority of published research has been conducted in Finland at the University of Kuopio. Of the 24 papers included in this review, 15 originated in Finland. The remainder of the research was conducted in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Germany.

Raw foods diets are variously described as uncooked vegan diets, uncooked vegetable diets, and "living foods" diets. In one case, a raw foods diet included raw liver (8). All other studies reviewed here referred to vegetarian diets, most of which excluded all animal products and derived the majority of calories from uncooked plant matter. In one study, up to 95 percent of food was consumed in raw form (7). One study group derived 55 percent of calories from uncooked fruits, carrot juice, salads and raw vegetables, and grain products, though 58 percent of subjects also consumed some animal product during the recorded week of food intake (4). In other studies, a "living foods" diet was defined as an uncooked vegan diet that included germinated seeds, sprouts, cereals, vegetables, fruits, berries, and nuts (9, 11).

The scientific literature contains relatively little information about the rationale for a raw foods or living foods diet. One paper by Kenton (1985) provides philosophical discussion examining food energy and its role in sustaining optimal health. Other papers focus on specific health effects on adult subjects following a raw foods or living foods diet for a period of time ranging from as little as one week (10) to as long as 3.7 years (14). Study groups ranged in size from as small as 13 subjects (2) to as many as 513 subjects (14). Findings include dietary effects on weight, serum lipid levels, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, rates of dental erosion, fecal microflora, cancer treatment, vitamin B₁₂ status, and antioxidant and other nutrient intakes.

Four studies found uncooked vegan ("living foods") diets to be associated with substantial loss of weight (5, 12, 14, 20). In one case, weight loss was associated with reduction of diastolic blood pressure (5), in one case reduction of fibromyalgia symptoms (12), and with amenorrhea in another case (14). Other studies found subjective improvement of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms with adoption of an uncooked vegan diet (9, 11, 17).

An uncooked vegan diet was associated with decreased serum total and LDL-cholesterol levels (2). Another study found that long term uncooked vegan diets resulted in decreased levels of n-3 fatty acids due to high intakes of linoleic and oleic acids (1). Two studies found significant reductions of serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations in subjects following a raw foods ("living foods") diet, suggesting that long-term adherents to a raw vegan diet should include a reliable source of vitamin B₁₂ in their diets (3, 22).

Other studies focused on favorable effects of an uncooked vegan diet on fecal microflora and other potential chemopreventive factors for cancer risk (6, 15, 18, 25). One study found overall favorable changes in biochemical and metabolic health indicators including serumprotein, urea, and total cholesterol in subjects eating a raw foods diet for one week but concluded observation over a longer period was needed (10). One study found increased risk of dental erosion in subjects following an uncooked vegan diet (7). Another study examined coumarin 7-hydroxylation in subjects consuming a raw foods vegan diet matched with omnivorous controls and concluded that plant substances had little effect on coumarin hydroxylase activity in subjects consuming a raw foods diet (23).

Finally, one study of 141 American long-term (mean time 28 months) adherents to a raw foods diet found self-reported improvements in health and quality of life after adoption of the diet (4). Measurement was based on survey results of subjects’ current health and retrospectively for health prior to dietary changes. The study found that salads, fruits, carrot juice, and cooked grain products provided 60-88 percent of most of the nutrients found in the diet. Dehydrated barley grass juice, nuts and seeds, potatoes and squash provided the remaining 12-40% of nutrients in the diet. The diet provided a mean calorie intake of 1460 kcal/day for women and 1830 kcal/day for men. Fat provided 24% of calories, and mean protein intake was 0.66g/kg body weight. Mean calcium intakes were 580 mg/day for women and 690 mg/day for men. As compared to mean nutrient intakes of people in the United States, as reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), intakes of several nutrients were significantly higher in subjects eating a raw foods diet, and intakes of several nutrients were lower. Intakes of fiber, vitamins A, B6, C, and E, folate, copper, and potassium were significantly higher in subjects eating a raw foods diet as compared with those reported in NHANES III, and intakes of protein, total and saturated fat, cholesterol, vitamin B₁₂, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc were significantly lower.

Overall, the body of scientific literature describing health and nutrition aspects of raw foods or living foods diets is limited. Only one survey of American individuals consuming a raw foods diet has been reported. Little or no information is available describing the rationale for a raw foods diet, nor has the range of practices among individuals consuming raw or living foods diets been documented. The majority of available research findings related to raw foods diet is confined to studies of European populations.

1. Agren, J. J., Tormala, M. L., Nenonen, M. T., Hanninen, O. (1995). Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte, platelet, and serum lipids in strict vegans. Lipids, 30, 365-369.

2. Agren, J. J., Tvrzicka, E., Nenonen, M. T., Helve, T., Hanninen, O. (2001). Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Nutrition, 85, 137-139.

3. Donaldson, M. S. (2000). Metabolic vitamin B₁₂ status on a mostly raw vegan diet with follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 44, 229-234.

4. Donaldson, M. S. (in press). Food and nutrient intake of Hallelujah vegetarians. Nutrition & Food Science.

5. Douglass, J. M., Rasgon, I. M., Fleiss, P. M., Schmidt, R. D., Peters, S. N., Abelmann, E. A. (1985). Effects of a raw food diet on hypertension and obesity. Southern Medical Journal, 78(7), 841-844.

6. Gaisbauer, M., Langosch, A. (1990). Raw food and immunity (article in German). Fortschr Med, 108(17), 338-340.

7. Ganss, C., Schlechtriemen, M., Klimek, J. (1999). Dental erosions in subjects living on a raw foods diet. Caries Research, 33, 74-80.

8. Gerson, M. (1978). The cure of advanced cancer by diet therapy: a summary of 30 years of clinical experimentation. Physiol Chem Phys, 10(5), 449-464.

9. Hanninen, O., Kaartinen, K., Rauma, A. L., Nenonen, M., Torronen, R., Hakkinen, A. S., et al. (2000). Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders. Toxicology, 155, 45-53.

10. Hanninen, O., Nenonen, M., Ling, W. H., Li, D. S., et al. (1992). Effects of eating an uncooked vegetable diet for 1 week. Appetite, 19, 243-254.

11. Hanninen, O., Rauma, A. L., Kaartinen, K., Nenonen, M. (1999). Vegan diet in physiological health promotion. Acta Physiologica Hungarica, 86, 171-180.

12. Kaartinen, K., Lammi, K., Hypen, M., Nenonen, M., Hanninen, O., Rauma, A. L. (2000). Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms. Scandanavian Journal of Rheumatology, 29, 308-313.

13. Kenton, L. (1985). Raw energy – nutrition of the future? Nutrition and Health, 4, 37-50.

14. Koebnick, C., Strassner, C., Hoffmann, I., Leitzmann, C. (1999). Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 43(2), 69-79.

15. Ling, W. H., Hanninen, O. (1992). Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans. Journal of Nutrition, 122, 924-930.
Messina, V. and Burke, K. (1997). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97(11), 1317-1321.

16. Nenonen, M. T., Helve, T. A., Rauma, A. L., Hanninen, O. O. (1998). Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Rheumatology, 37, 274-281.

17. Peltonen, R., Ling, W. H., Hanninen, O., Eerola, E. (1992). An uncooked vegan diet shifts the profile of human fecal microflora: computerized analysis of direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography profiles of bacterial cellular fatty acids. Applied Environmental Microbiology, 58, 3660-3666.

18. Peltonen, R., Nenonen, M., Helve, T., Hanninen, O., Toivanen, P., Eerola, E. (1997). Faecal microbial flora and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis during a vegan diet. British Journal of Rheumatology, 36, 64-68.

19. Rauma, A. L., Nenonen, M., Helve, T., Hanninen, O. (1993). Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 47, 747-749.

20. Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., Hanninen, O., Verhagen, H., Mykkanen, H. (1995). Antioxidant status in long-term adherents to a strict uncooked vegan diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 62, 1221-1227.

21. Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., Hanninen, O., Mykkanen, H. (1995). Vitamin B-12 status of long-term adherents of a strict uncooked vegan diet ("living food diet") is compromised. Journal of Nutrition, 125, 2511-2315.

22. Rauma, A. L., Rautio, A., Pasanen, M., Pelkonen, O., Torronen, R., Mykkanen, H. (1996). Coumarin 7-hydroxylation in long-term adherents of a strict, Uncooked vegan diet. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 50, 133-137.

23. Rauma, A. L., Mykkanen, H. (2000). Antioxidant status in vegetarians versus omnivores. Nutrition, 16, 111-119.

24. Verhagen, H., Rauma, A. L., Torronen, R., de Vogel, N., Bruijntjes-Rosier, G. C., Drevo, M. A., et al. (1996). Effect of a vegan diet on biomarkers of females. Human Experimental Toxicology, 15, 821-825.

Don't Buy Brand Name Drugs with 2 letters after their name!

What do those little letters, CD, ER, SR, etc, after a brand name drug's name mean? The exact terminology varies, but they usually translate to the same thing: unnecessary ripoffs.

Whether it says CD, CR, ER, LA, SR, XL, XR, or XT, the letters really stand for a version of the drug that releases differently into the body. By coming up with different variations on old drugs, pharmaceutical companies can keep the profits rolling on drugs whose patents have expired. Best of all, if they can get the doctor to write one of these letter sequences after the drug's name, the pharmacy can't substitute a lower-priced generic (unless a generic of the extended release version is already on the market).... Read More

WARNING: FDA: Some Cholesterol and Heart Drugs Don't Mix

WASHINGTON — Patients taking some common medications for high cholesterol and irregular heart beats can suffer severe muscle damage because of a problem in the way the drugs interact, the government warned on Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration said doctors should use extra care when prescribing Zocor, generic Zocor, or Vytorin to patients who are also taking amiodarone, a heart rhythm drug marketed as Cordarone or Pacerone. The danger is higher for patients taking more than 20 milligrams a day of the cholesterol drugs, the agency said...Read More

Vitamin C May Cut Diabetes Risk

Vitamin C May Cut Diabetes Risk

An abundance of vitamin C in the diet may help lower a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

In a study of middle-aged and older men and women, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin C were significantly less likely to develop diabetes over 12 years than those with the lowest levels, researchers found.

Fruits and vegetables are the main source of vitamin C in Western diets, and blood levels of vitamin C are good markers of fruit and vegetable intake, Dr. Nita G. Forouhi, at the Institute of Metabolic Science at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England, and colleagues note.Read More

PTSD Causes Early Death from Heart Disease

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly raises the risk of premature death from heart disease, according to results of a long-term study of Vietnam veterans. Read More

Broccoli May Reverse Diabetes Damage

President George H. W. Bush famously said that he didn’t like broccoli, and since he was president, he didn’t have to eat it. But if the former president is ever diagnosed with diabetes, he may allow broccoli on his plate after all. New research from the University of Warwick in England found that eating broccoli could reverse the vascular damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes.Read More

Diet Cuts Colon Cancer Risk

Current dietary guidelines are on the right track when it comes to colorectal cancer prevention, new research from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) confirms. Men whose eating habits adhered most closely to any of four indexes widely used to measure diet quality were less likely to develop colorectal cancer, Dr. Jill Reedy of the NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues found...Read More

Learn what God Says about your diet.....

 

Spices May Protect Against Diabetes' Side Effects

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

Researchers, whose results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices. In addition to finding high levels of antioxidant-rich compounds known as phenols, they revealed a direct correlation between phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging....Read More

Is Cancer a fungus?

This is an interesting video to listen to. It's about Cancer being a fungus. The video is 45 minutes long, but if you look around the site you may find the 20 minute version if you don't have 45 minutes.  It's very interesting to listen to. The Dr. says Sodium Bicarbonate or Arm & Hammer baking soda kills Cancer.

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Asian Herb Inspires Cancer Drug

A compound used in Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine has paved the way for blocking the growth of cancers that were until now considered “undruggable.” The herb, called “honokiol,” is a natural compound found in magnolia cones, and researchers are at the stage of licensing it for testing in people.

A team led by Jack Arbiser, MD, PhD, at Emory University School of Medicine began studying honokiol in 2003 when it was discovered it could inhibit tumor growth in mice. The team focused on treatment of a family of genes called “Ras,” whose mutation triggers the growth of several types of cancers. “We found that it is particularly potent against tumors with activated Ras,” Arbiser says. Ras genes are the cancer-stimulators medicinal chemists had previously classified as “undruggable,” and they are mutated in almost a third of human cancers.

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Does too much sun cause melanoma?

Is sun exposure a major cause of melanoma?

We are continuously bombarded with messages about the dangers of too much sun and the increased risk of melanoma (the less common and deadliest form of skin cancer), but are these dangers real, or is staying out of the sun causing us more harm than good?

Two experts debate the issue on BMJ.com today.

Sam Shuster, a consultant dermatologist at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, says that sun exposure is the major cause of the common forms of skin cancer, which are all virtually benign, but not the rarer, truly malignant melanoma.

Shuster says that the common skin cancers develop in pale, sun exposed skin and are less frequent in people who avoid the sun and use protection. In contrast, melanoma is related to ethnicity rather than pigmentation and in 75% of cases occurs on relatively unexposed sites, especially on the feet of Africans. Melanoma occurrence decreases with greater sun exposure and can be increased by sunscreens, while sun bed exposure has a small inconsistent effect. Therefore, he concludes, any causative effect of ultraviolet light on melanoma can only be minimal.

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Study: Low-Carb Diet Best for Weight, Cholesterol

ATLANTA -- The Atkins diet may have proved itself after all: A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the dueling weight-loss techniques.

A bigger surprise: The low-carb diet improved cholesterol more than the other two. Some critics had predicted the opposite.

"It is a vindication," said Abby Bloch of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, a philanthropy group that honors the Atkins' diet's creator and was the study's main funder.

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Five Breast Cancer Myths

When someone well-known such as Christina Applegate is diagnosed with breast cancer, many adult women become concerned as to what the future holds for them.

While it's true that 1 out of 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her lifetime, there are also a lot of misconceptions about the disease floating around.

Although Applegate is just 36 years old, the fact remains that breast cancer is more likely to strike women over the age of 50.Read More

The 'Asian-Greek Paradox' and the 400,000 “Premature” Deaths

By Robert R Barney   

Norfolk, Va --

Robert A. Levy, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute and Rosalind B. Marimont, a retired mathematician and scientist, formerly with the National Institutes of Health have published a paper examining the claim of 400,000 deaths attributed to cigarette smoking each year by the United States government. Their finding will shock probably everyone of you, even if you are convinced that cigarettes kill millions. The findings are amazing. For example are you aware that 45% of these deaths attributed to smoking are for people OVER 75? This means that according to our own government statistics, nearly 50% of the people who “die from smoking” do so after the average non-smoker dies! Are you aware that these same stats show that 60% of this 400,000 figure are over 70 years old? Now another shocker… Almost 20% of this death toll from smoking (80,000 deaths a year) occur to those over 85!

Do these statistics bother you? They bother me and I am a nonsmoker. They bother me because again, our government vilifies those that they want to tax and regulate. The horrible truth about why the United States went after big tobacco has more to do with President Johnson’s “Great Society” and the civil rights legislation than it did for our health. The same government that put cigarettes into soldiers C-rations to keep soldiers alert and awake in WWII, know was attacking the product by 1964. Why? As you will discover, it had more to do with Democrat politics than it did health.....Read More

Is HPV Vaccine to Blame for a Teen's Paralysis?

About a month after being vaccinated against the cervical cancer-causing HPV virus, 13-year-old Jenny Tetlock missed the lowest hurdle in gym class, the first hint of the degenerative muscle disease that, 15 months later, has left the previously healthy teenager nearly completely paralyzed. Did the vaccine, Gardasil, cause her condition? Her father, Philip Tetlock, a psychology professor at UC-Berkeley's Haas School of Business, has embarked on an odyssey to find out whether the vaccine or random coincidence is to blame.

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Berries good for beauty, well-being

While the back-to-school-sale season is almost upon us, don't let go of savoring the fresh tastes of summer berries that can help boost your health all year.

Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are all concentrated sources of plant compounds called polyphenols. Other polyphenol-rich foods such as dark chocolate, tea and red wine have been shown to benefit heart health. And now the news is in about berries. A study published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that eating a moderate amount of berries can benefit heart health three ways.

(ENLARGE)

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• Start cooking: Try a few berry good berry recipes • Find a farmer's market near you • What's in season? Get the freshest produce today More healthy eating news Berries good for beauty, well-being

Nutrition researchers in Finland added berries twice a day to the diet of middle-aged men and women. After eight weeks, tests showed lower blood pressure, higher HDL "good" cholesterol and less platelet aggregation, potentially preventing blood clots. So, adding beautiful blueberries to pancakes or sweet and colorful strawberries to smoothies not only adds eye appeal to the menu, it's a heart- healthy move, too.

Among the lowest in calories per ounce of any foods, berries are chock-full of nutrients, most notably vitamin C and the blood pressure-lowering mineral potassium. One cup of strawberries (53 calories) contains more than 100 milligrams of vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice. Strawberries are also rich in a potent plant compound called elagic acid, which is being studied for its anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

One cup of blueberries (80 calories) offers similar amounts of vitamin C, potassium, folate and fiber. Recently, researchers at Tufts University analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables for their anti-oxidant capability. Blueberries came out on top, rating highest in their capacity to destroy cell-damaging free radicals. Anthocyanin, the blue-red pigment in blueberries and strawberries, is another powerful plant anti-oxidant that works with vitamin C to protect and repair skin cells. So, a bowlful of berries is good for health and beauty.....Read More

Alzheimer 'Breakthrough' Tempts Families to Improvise

What would you do if had an incurable disease and heard that something simple and common may help -- a chemical found at a pet store, or in an allergy drug, or a breakthrough injection a man in California developed?

The similarities between an active ingredient in a potential Alzheimer treatment and the chemical methylene blue, commonly used as a blue dye, may lead some people to improvise, researchers fear.

(Glowimages/Getty Images)

It's the sort of dilemma Alan Romantowski, a former airline pilot, faces with each news story about Alzheimer's disease treatments.

"It is tempting; I'm taking ginseng, fish oil, ginkgo and all the over-the-counter things that the doctors say don't have any proof that it helps, but it doesn't hurt," said Romantowski, 55, who is suffering from the early stages of the disease.

And not all of the solutions Romantowski has sought have been from a pharmacy. Earlier this week, he says, he "was just about packing my bags to California" to try an unproven treatment that involved injections into his head -- that is, until his doctor let him know that the so-called breakthrough treatment he heard about in California was "wacky" and unproven. ...Read More

Learn what God Says about your diet.....

A Deadly Duo:

Sleep Apnea and Cardiac Risk
Heart Groups Urge More Research on Connections

Should sleepless nights keep you awake worrying about your heart? A new study about sleep apnea and heart attacks may say yes. Obstructive sleep apnea is long established as a risk factor for many cardiovascular conditions, including arrhythmia and high blood pressure, in addition to its association with diabetes and obesity. Now, researchers have found a link between sleep apnea and nighttime heart attacks. The study is one of many that has two major cardiac organizations calling for more research on the connection. Think you or a loved one might have sleep apnea? Ask your doctor about a sleep study to diagnose it.

Humor

Don’t mind Jack. He’s just on one of his sugar highs!

Prostate Cancer Linked to X-Rays

British researchers have linked prostate cancer with X-rays. A study conducted by the University of Nottingham shows a connection between diagnostic radiation and elevated risk of young-onset prostate cancer, which affects about ten percent of men diagnosed. Young-onset prostate cancer is by definition found in men before the age of sixty....Read More

Boosting Potassium May Lower Blood Pressure

Research shows that boosting levels of potassium in the diet may lower a person's risk of developing high blood pressure and may decrease blood pressure in people who already have "hypertension."

High blood pressure remains the chief reason for visits to doctors' offices and for prescription drug use in the U.S., two researchers from Nashville, Tennessee note in a special supplement to The Journal of Clinical Hypertension this month.

Dr. Mark C. Houston, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Dr. Karen J. Harper from Harper Medical Communications, Inc. in Nashville, also point out that a healthy intake of potassium is thought to be one reason why vegetarians and isolated populations have a very low incidence of heart disease.

In isolated societies consuming diets low in sodium and high in fruits and vegetables, which have and therefore high levels of potassium, hypertension affects only 1 percent of the population, they note. In contrast, in industrialized societies, where people consume diets high in processed foods and large amounts of dietary sodium 1 in 3 persons have hypertension.

The typical American diet contains about double the sodium and half the potassium that is currently recommended in dietary guidelines. Low potassium intake is thought to contribute to the prevalence of high blood pressure in Americans.

Based on their review of published studies on the topic, Houston and Harper say if Americans were to boost their potassium intake, the number of adults with known high blood pressure could fall by more than 10 percent. In 2006, the American Heart Association issued new guidelines calling for Americans to get 4.7 grams per day of potassium.

"An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease," Houston and Harper contend.

Some studies also show that diets containing at least 500 to 1,000 milligrams magnesium daily and more than 800 milligrams of calcium daily may help lower blood pressure and the risk of developing high blood pressure.

"A high intake of these minerals through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may improve blood pressure levels and reduce coronary heart disease and stroke," Houston and Harper conclude.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Hypertension, July 2008.

Behavior Problems Linked to Cell Phones

Children whose mothers used cell phones frequently during pregnancy and who are themselves cell phone users are more likely to have behavior problems, new research shows.

The finding "certainly shouldn't be over interpreted, but nevertheless points in a direction where further research is needed," Dr. Leeka Kheifets of the UCLA School of Public Health, who helped conduct the study, told Reuters Health. "It's a wonderful technology and people are certainly going to be using it more and more," she added. "We need to be looking into what are the potential health effects and what are ways to reduce risks should there be any." ...Read More

12 Babies die during vaccine trials in Argentina

Buenos Aires, Jul 10, 2008 

 At least 12 babies who were part of a clinical study to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against pneumonia have died over the past year in Argentina, the local press reported Thursday.
The study was sponsored by global drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and uses children from poor families, who are "pressured and forced into signing consent forms," the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals, or Fesprosa, said.

"This occurs without any type of state control" and "does not comply with minimum ethical requirements," Fesprosa said.

The vaccine trial is still ongoing despite the denunciations, and those in charge of the study were cited by the Critica newspaper as saying that the procedures are being carried out in a lawful manner.

 

 

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Incision-Free: New Procedure Offers Stomach Stapling Without Surgery

A revolutionary new weight loss procedure... Stomach stapling without surgery!Watch the Video

Cargill rolling out natural, no-calorie sweetener .. Stevia

 

 

 

 

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By Martinne Geller

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc is starting to roll out Truvia, its natural, no-calorie sweetener on Wednesday, and expects the product to be on grocery shelves across the U.S. sometime this fall.

Truvia is made from certain compounds in the leaves of stevia, a shrub native to Paraguay, and will provide a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners including Sweet 'N Low, Equal and Splenda.

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Sex Builds Better Health Eight Great Ways

When you have S-E-X on your mind, chances are H-E-A-L-T-H is the last thing you’re thinking about – but the two actually go hand-in-glove! Sex promotes both our physical and psychological health, according to experts, and here are eight ways it helps: .....Read More

Rapid Rise Seen in Fatal Medication Errors at Home

CHICAGO -- Deaths from medication mistakes at home, like actor Heath Ledger's accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds.The authors blame soaring home use of prescription painkillers and other potent drugs, which 25 years ago were given mainly inside hospitals....Read More

What's In Your Food?

Andy Rooney Takes A Gander At Food Ingredients

 

CBS

Comments 12

July 27

What's In Your Food?

Ever wonder what's inside some of your favorite grocery items? As Andy Rooney found out, you may be surprised what isn't in some foods. More...

Video: Andy Reads The Labels

Story: What's On Your Plate?

Viagra...Now for Babies

Not only can Viagra help...well, you know...but it has also been used as a life-saving medication for babies born with weak lungs.

In August of 2007, Lewis Goodfellow was born at 24 weeks, weighing only 1lb 8oz. One of his lungs failed, making it so he was not getting enough oxygen in his bloodstream.

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Statins May Spur Dementia

Statin drugs, which are used to lower cholesterol, may adversely affect a particular group of brain cells important to the health of aging brains, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “There has been a great deal of discussion about a link between statins and dementia, but evidence either way has been scant,” said Steven Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., the research team leader. “This new data provides a basis for further exploration.”Read More

FDA: Avoid Jalapenos From Mexico, Not US

WASHINGTON -- Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico seem to be implicated in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, the government announced Friday in clearing the U.S. crop.Read More

U.S. Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules

Political appointees at the Department of Labor are moving with unusual speed to push through in the final months of the Bush administration a rule making it tougher to regulate workers' on-the-job exposure to chemicals and toxins.Read More

Limiting Fructose May Boost Weight Loss

One of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly, according to a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center.Read More

How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?

(CBS) For years some parents and scientists have raised concerns about vaccine safety, including a possible link to autism and ADD. Many independent experts have sided with government officials and other scientists who say there's no possible connection. But how "independent" are they? CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson shares here's what she found.Read More

Soy foods 'reduce sperm numbers'

A regular diet of even modest amounts of food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations, suggest scientists.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre of semen after just one portion every two days.

The authors said plant oestrogens in foods such as tofu, soy mince or milk may interfere with hormonal signals.MORE.......

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Alzheimer’s in a Can?

Sugary beverages are part of the American way of life, but five or more cans a day may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The research team, using mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, added a 10 percent solution of sugar water to the diet of half the mice being tested. Over 25 weeks, the sugar-water mice gained 17 percent more weight than the controls. They also developed insulin resistance and had a higher cholesterol count. Read More

AIDS among Latinos on the rise

 

SAN YSIDRO, Calif. - AIDS rates in the nation's Latino community are increasing and, with little notice, have reached what experts are calling a simmering public health crisis. Though Hispanics make up about 14 percent of the U.S. population, they represented 22 percent of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses tallied by federal officials in 2006. According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Hispanics in the District have the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country.

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A Test of Justice for Rape Victims

Every two minutes, someone is raped in the United States. Every year, more than 200,000 rape victims, mostly women, report their rapes to police. Most consent to the creation of a rape kit, an invasive process for collecting physical evidence (including DNA material) of the assault that can take up to six hours. What most victims don't know is that in thousands of cases, that evidence sits untested in police evidence lockers.... Read More

Poison in Baby’s Carrier and Your Easy Chair

A well-known toxic chemical may lurk in everything from your easy chair to your baby’s bassinet—and manufacturers don’t have to tell you about it. The chemical is a flame retardant called “chlorinated Tris,” and it was used in children’s pajamas until 1977, when studies showed it caused cancer in animals. However, it’s turning up again with increasing frequency in upholstered furniture, car upholstery, paint, mattresses, and even baby carriers....Read More

Patients Don't Know Exercise Cuts Colon Cancer Risk

Many experts now consider colon cancer a largely preventable disease, but a new study finds that primary care doctors might not always inform patients about one important step they can take to reduce their risk: becoming more physically active....Read More

Health Officials: Don't Eat Lobster Tomalley

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine officials are advising consumers to avoid eating lobster tomalley after tests revealed high levels of toxins in some lobsters.

The Maine Center for Disease Control said Friday that lobster meat is perfectly safe but that people should not eat the tomalley _ a soft green substance found in the body of the lobster.

High levels of toxic algae known as red tide have been recorded along Maine's coast this summer, forcing the state to close many areas to clam and mussel harvesting. Tomalley functions as the lobster's liver by serving as a natural filter for contaminants that are in the water.

Editors note: Of course if you believed God, one would never ever even consider eating a lobster!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers for many years not to eat tomalley, which is considered a delicacy by some.

RAW MILK is the way GOD intended it!

The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized:

Inside the raw-milk underground

The agents arrived before dawn. They concealed the squad car and police van behind trees, and there, on the road that runs past Michael Schmidt’s farm in Durham, Ontario, they waited for the dairyman to make his move. A team from the Ministry of Natural Resources had been watching Schmidt for months, shadowing him on his weekly runs to Toronto. Two officers had even infiltrated the farmer’s inner circle, obtaining for themselves samples of his product. Lab tests confirmed their suspicions. It was raw milk. The unpasteurized stuff. Now the time had come to take him down.

Schmidt had risen that morning at 4 a.m. He milked his cows and ate breakfast. He loaded up a delivery, then fired up the bus. But as he reached the end of the driveway, two cars moved in to block his path. A police officer stepped into the road and raised his hand. Another ran to the bus and banged on the door. Others were close behind. Eventually twenty-four officers from five different agencies would search the farm. Many of them carried guns.

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China grows 'Super Vegetables' with Seeds from Outer Space

While most governments are reacting to the global food shortage by growing more food, the Chinese have decided to grow the same amount of fruits and vegetables, but with A TWIST: giant versions of standard food staples: 210-pound pumpkins, 2-pound tomatoes, and cucumbers that are over 2-feet long -- that are currently feeding families in 22 of China's provinces, and governments in Europe, Japan and elsewhere are taking notice. 

This weird, believe-it-or-not scenario becomes even more fantastic as it turns out that the reason these foods can grow so huge is because they've been sent to outer space. The seeds get blasted into outer space, and, after they return, transform into enormous eatables -- but no one knows why.

The China Academy of Sciences, working with the then Soviet Union, first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987. Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.Read More

'Super berry' poses risk to UK's tomato and potato crops

Health gurus promote the goji's benefits, but illegally imported plants could spread disease to other crops

Goji berries might look innocuous, but the current craze for this "superfood" – fuelled by the endorsement of celebrities such as Kate Moss and Sir Mick Jagger – could devastate Britain's multimillion-pound tomato and potato crops.Read More

"Caffeine Intoxication" Cases On Rise

Teens, Energy Drinks Among Sources Of Concern, Expert Says

(CBS) More and more caffeine abuse victims are showing up in the nation's emergency rooms.

A recently-released report from University of Massachusetts Medical School noted 4,600 caffeine-related calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 2005, the most recent data available. More than half involved people under 19, and 2345 required treatment in a health care facility.

"As (caffeinated) drinks become more and more popular, and caffeinated beverages in general, and as the use of them sort of spills over into younger crowds, we're noticing more calls into poison control centers, and more and more of those people are being recommended to go to their local health care facility to get some at least observation and possibly management and treatment," U-Mass Med School toxicologist Richard Church, one of the study's authors, told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Thursday.Read More

Study: Low-carb diet best for weight, cholesterol

ATLANTA - The Atkins diet may have proved itself after all: A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the dueling weight-loss techniques.

A bigger surprise: The low-carb diet improved cholesterol more than the other two. Some critics had predicted the opposite.

"It is a vindication," said Abby Bloch of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, a philanthropy group that honors the Atkins' diet's creator and was the study's main funder.Read More

U.S. Still Fails Healthcare Test

The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries, a report released on Thursday said.

Americans squander money on wasteful administrative costs, illnesses caused by medical error and inefficient use of time, the report from the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund concluded.Read More

Allergic to Water?

Yes, it’s possible. And, yes, it can be miserable.

By Dr. Rob for MSN Health & Fitness

Q: My eldest son, who is 15, seems to be allergic to water. This has just come on within the last year. When he takes a shower his chest itches really badly. He also gets this way when he swims. We took him to the dermatologist’s office and saw a physician’s assistant who said it just must be the soap, and to change the soap and things will be fine. It’s been frustrating for him; it isn’t the soap or laundry detergent because my family is a sensitive family and we use All Free and Clear for the laundry and Dove sensitive skin soap. I happen to have cold urticaria (a form of hives that’s caused by cold exposure). Do you have any idea what this might be? Could this be a form of cold urticaria? Do you know what we can do for him?

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Skin Cancer: How to Spot the Bad Spots

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It metastasizes in one-fifth of patients who have it.

There is no doubt a sun-kissed, summertime glow will boost your confidence and make you look and feel healthier.

But, like all good things, the sun is good only in moderation, as dangerous UVA and UVB rays can lead to skin cancer.

So, how do you recognize the signs of skin cancer, especially since humans always have some sort of pre-existing beauty mark, mole or sun spot?

“The way to be aware of it is the ABCDs,” said Dr. Jody A. Levine, a dermatologist from Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC. They are:

A – Asymmetry

B – Border irregularity

C – Color variety

D – Diameter greater than 5 millimeters

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This is why you must stay informed!

Mom Uses Internet to Diagnose Daughter Whose Illness Baffled Doctors

A young British girl, who was left bedridden for six months after doctors failed to diagnose her, has finally received the proper treatment thanks to the Internet and her mother, the Daily Mail is reporting.

Dominique Fisher, 35, of Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England, took her daughter, 13-year-old Danielle Fisher to see the doctor in October after she began suffering from severe headaches and fatigue.

Over the next six months, Danielle was diagnosed with a variety of possible illnesses including meningitis, Epstein-Bar virus, a tumor, and even psychological problems — all of which turned out to be wrong, the paper reported.Read More

How to buy organics while on a budget

As grocery prices soar, more shoppers are looking for bargains

Valeria Zaitsevia buys bread at the Bread Alone organic whole grain bakery stand at the Union Square Farmers Market in New York.  View related photos

 

If you’re like me, your household budget is getting clobbered by the one-two punch of $4-plus-a-gallon gasoline and higher food prices. Most of us can find a way to drive less, but we all have to eat.

To stretch their food dollars, people are changing the way they shop. For some, that means buying fewer organic products or taking them off the shopping list entirely.

“The statistics aren’t available yet, but there’s definitely been trading down by consumers in many areas,” says Brian Todd, CEO of The Food Institute, a non-profit organization in Elmwood, N.J., that tracks supermarket trends. “Consumers are going from national brands to private labels and from more expensive produce, and that would include organics, to lower-priced produce,” he says.Read More

Live Longer, Healthier, & Better

The untold benefits of becoming a Christian in the ancient world.
Rodney Stark

Constantine, the first Christian to rule Rome, governed for 31 years and died in bed of natural causes at a time when the average imperial reign was short and emperors' lives usually came to violent ends.

That he lived to old age illustrates a more general, if not widely known, early Christian achievement: Christians in the ancient world had longer life expectancies than did their pagan neighbors.

Modern demographers regard life expectancy as the best indicator of quality of life, so in all likelihood, Christians simply lived better lives than just about everyone else.

In fact, many pagans were attracted to the Christian faith because the church produced tangible (not only "spiritual") blessings for its adherents.

Why Christians lived longer

Chief among these tangibles was that, in a world entirely lacking social services, Christians were their brothers' keepers. At the end of the second century, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spent their donations "on feasts and drinking bouts," Christians spent theirs "to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house."

Similarly, in a letter to the bishop of Antioch in 251, the bishop of Rome mentioned that "more than 1,500 widows and distressed persons" were in the care of his congregation. These claims concerning Christian charity were confirmed by pagan observers.

"The impious Galileans support not only their poor," complained pagan emperor Julian, "but ours as well."

The willingness of Christians to care for others was put on dramatic public display when two great plagues swept the empire, one beginning in 165 and the second in 251. Mortality rates climbed higher than 30 percent. Pagans tried to avoid all contact with the afflicted, often casting the still living into the gutters. Christians, on the other hand, nursed the sick even though some believers died doing so.

The results of these efforts were dramatic. We now know that elementary nursing—simply giving victims food and water without any drugs—will reduce mortality in epidemics by as much as two-thirds. Consequently Christians were more likely than pagans to recover—a visible benefit. Christian social services also were visible and valuable during the frequent natural and social disasters afflicting the Greco-Roman world: earthquakes, famines, floods, riots, civil wars, and invasions.

Girl power

Women greatly outnumbered men among early converts. However, in the empire as a whole, men vastly outnumbered women. There were an estimated 131 men for every 100 women in Rome. The disparity was even greater elsewhere and greater still among the elite.

Widespread female infanticide had reduced the number of women in society. "If you are delivered of a child," wrote a man named Hilarion to his pregnant wife, "if it is a boy, keep it, if it is a girl discard it." Frequent abortions "entailing great risk" (in the words of Celsus) killed many women and left even more barren.

The Christian community, however, practiced neither abortion nor infanticide and thus drew to itself women.

More importantly, within the Christian community women enjoyed higher status and security than they did among their pagan neighbors. Pagan women typically were married at a young age (often before puberty) to much older men. But Christian women were older when they married and had more choice in whom, and even if, they would marry.

In addition, Christian men could not easily divorce their wives, and both genders were subject to strongly enforced rules against extramarital sex.

To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity and hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered immediate fellowship. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family.. Christian women benefitted further from their considerable status within the church. We have it from the apostle Paul that women held positions of leadership, as was confirmed by Pliny the Younger, who reported to Emperor Trajan that he had tortured two young Christian women "who were called deaconesses."

Urban sanctuary

Yet the early church attractedand held members of both sexes, and not just because it offered longer life and raised social standing. Christianity also offered a strong community in a disorganized, chaotic world.

Greco-Roman cities were terribly overpopulated. Antioch, for example, had a population density of about 117 inhabitants per acre—more than three times that of New York City today.

Tenement cubicles were smoky, dark, often damp, and always dirty. The smell of sweat, urine, feces, and decay permeated everything. Outside on the street, mud, open sewers, and manure lay everywhere, and even human corpses were found in the gutters. Newcomers and strangers, divided into many ethnic groups, harbored bitter antagonism that often erupted into violent riots.

For these ills, Christianity offered a unifying subculture, bridging these divisions and providing a strong sense of common identity.

To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity and hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate fellowship. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family.

In short, Christianity offered a longer, more secure, and happier life.

The emotional benefits of martyrdom

It seems obvious that in periods of persecution, church membership would decrease dramatically. In fact, persecutions rarely occurred, and only a tiny number of Christians were ever martyred—only "hundreds, not thousands" according to historian William H. C. Frend. Usually only bishops and other prominent figures were singled out for martyrdom. The actual threat to rank-and-file Christians was quite small.

However, the martyrdoms played a crucial role in cementing the faith of early believers. Persecution eliminated the "free-rider" problem common to many new religions. Those who stayed in the church believed strongly in the tenets of the faith because it was "expensive" to do so.

Anyone who has participated in a cause that demands great sacrifice will understand that services conducted in those early house churches must have yielded an intense, shared emotional satisfaction. Shared risk usually brings people together in powerful ways.

Compassion equation

It was not simply the promise of salvation that motivated Christians, but the fact that they were greatly rewarded in the here and now for belonging. Thus while membership was "expensive," it was, in fact, "a bargain." Because the church asked much of its members, it followed that it gave much.

For example, because Christians were expected to aid the less fortunate, they could expect to receive such aid, and all could feel greater security against bad times. Because they were asked to nurse the sick and dying, they too would receive such nursing. Because they were asked to love others, they in turn would be loved.

In similar fashion, Christianity mitigated relations among social classes, and at the very time when the gap between rich and poor was growing. It did not preach that everyone could or should be socially or politically equal, but it did preach that all were equal in the eyes of God and that the more fortunate had a responsibility to help those in need.

Good theological news

Converts not only had to learn to act like Christians but to understand why Christians acted as they did. They had to learn that God commanded them to love one another, to be merciful, to be their brother's keeper. Indeed, they had to understand the idea of "divinity" in an entirely new way.

The simple phrase "For God so loved the world … " puzzled educated pagans, who believed, as Aristotle taught, that the gods could feel no love for mere humans. Moreover, a god of mercy was unthinkable, since classical philosophers taught that mercy was a pathological emotion, a defect of character to be outgrown and overcome.

The notion that the gods care how we treat one another would also have been dismissed as patently absurd by all sophisticated pagans.

When we examine the gods accepted by these same sophisticates, they seem trivial in contrast with "God the Father," and wicked incompetents compared to "His Son." Yet to many pagans, this new teaching was more than absurd. It was also good news.

Behind all these tangible, sociological, and intellectual motives, of course, Christians believe the Holy Spirit prodded and persuaded pagans to believe. Christian conversion, after all, is ultimately a spiritual affair. But is it too much to imagine that God perhaps used the tangible to influence the spiritual?

Rodney Stark is professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, and author of The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (Princeton University Press, 1996).

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian History magazine.Permission granted for re-print...
Click here for reprint information on Christian History.

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Woman Wakes After Heart Stopped, Rigor Mortis Set In

GOD STILL WORKS MIRACLES!

 

Val Thomas’ doctors honestly can’t explain how she is alive today. Thomas, who lives in West Virginia, is being called a medical miracle after she suffered two heart attacks and had no brain waves for more than 17 hours; reports NewsNet5.com.

Thomas’ heart stopped around 1:30 a.m. Saturday and doctors said she had no pulse. Rigor mortis started to set in, and she was placed on a respiratory machine.

"Her skin had already started to harden and her fingers curled,” Thomas’ son, Jim, told NewsNet5.com. “Death had set in.”

Thomas, 59, was rushed to a West Virginia hospital, where she was put on a special machine to induce hypothermia. This would allow her body to cool down for 24 hours before they would warm her up again, doctors explained. However, Thomas’ heart stopped again after the procedure.

Her family said their goodbyes and Thomas’ tubes were removed, but she remained hooked on a ventilator as the possibility of organ donation was discussed.

However, Thomas woke up 10 minutes later and started talking.

“The nurse said, ‘I’m so sorry, Mrs. Thomas,’ and mom said, ‘That’s OK, honey, that’s OK,’” Jim Thomas said.

Val Thomas was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic so that specialists could check her out, but doctors said they could find nothing wrong with her.

“I know God has something in store for me, another purpose,” Val Thomas said. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure he’ll tell me.”

Click here to read the full story from NewsNet5.com.

 

And in another Miracle...

A BABY girl came back to life two hours after she was pronounced dead after falling into a river in the UK

Stress Hormone Affects Immune System

A new UCLA study suggests the decline in an individual’s immune system after facing chronic stress is due to the stress hormone cortisol. Scientists found that cortisol suppresses immune cells’ ability to activate their telomerase, an enzyme within the cell that keeps immune cells young by preserving their telomere length and ability to continue dividing.

Every cell contains a tiny clock called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. Short telomeres are linked to a range of human diseases, including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging. Read More

Man Dies from Drinking Water!

So when do we put warning labels on water bottles?

A 44-year-old man died after drinking 9.6 liters of water in eight hours, the equivalent of four-and- a-half soda bottles, London’s Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

Andrew Thornton, of Bradford, England, was drinking the cold water to relieve his sore gums, which were brought on by gum disease, according to an inquest.

Thornton drank the water to avoid taking painkillers, said his mother, Alice, 65 Read More