We should all have a beef with factory farming

Antibiotics are widely used on livestock, and humans are paying the price, says Geoffrey Lean

It is the stuff of nightmares. What if the antibiotics that we have for so long taken for granted were to lose their power to fight infections, throwing us largely back on folk remedies and the body’s own defences?

Back in 1900, just two infectious diseases, pneumonia and tuberculosis, accounted for a quarter of all deaths in America. By 1990, they caused just four per cent – thanks largely to antibiotics. These apparently miraculous medicines have also beaten back a host of other plagues, from meningitis to syphilis, and revolutionised recovery from surgery and burns. Few of us do not have cause to be deeply grateful: only this week, one of my family was rushed to hospital with an infection that could well have proved fatal a century ago, only be to be safely discharged after two days of intravenous antibiotic treatment. MORE>>>>

See What the Bible says: Is all Foods Fit to Eat?

Magnesium Offers Strong Radiation Protection

(NaturalNews) One would not normally think that magnesium deficiency can increase the risk of cancer yet we will find that just as severe dehydration or asphyxiation can cause death, magnesium deficiency can lead directly to cancer. It is known that carcinogenesis induces magnesium distribution disturbances, causing magnesium mobilization through blood cells and magnesium depletion in non-neoplastic tissues. Magnesium deficiency is carcinogenic, and in the case of solid tumors, a high level of supplemented magnesium inhibits carcinogenesis.

Researchers from Japan's National Cancer Center in Tokyo have found that an increased intake of magnesium reduces a man's risk of colon cancer by over 50 percent. Several studies have shown an increased cancer rate in regions with low magnesium levels in soil and drinking water. In Egypt the cancer rate was only about 10 percent of that in Europe and America. In the rural fellah it was practically non-existent. The main difference was an extremely high magnesium intake of 2.5-3g in these cancer-free populations, ten times more than in most western countries.

For all of these reasons and a hundred more, magnesium oil remains the number one item in my cancer protocol and thus number one for radiation exposure. Magnesium is our first line of defense against both.



It is in a list of medicinals that prevent and treat
cancer that we find helpful substances that treat
and strengthen us against radiation contamination.

"In the years leading up to Chernobyl, some dairy farmers in Austria were using remineralization as a part of their operations. They added rock dust to liquid manure as well as combining it with compost, thereby removing odors and greatly increasing soil biota. As a result, cows had twice the normal lifespan and produced much more milk. Amazingly enough, after Chernobyl, the cheeses that were remineralized (as well as biodynamic cheeses) measured no radioactivity whatsoever. Austrians would stand in long lines in order to buy these safe, remineralized products," writes Joanna Campe.

Iodine is obviously not the only substance that we should run to in the face of increasing radiation threats. Magnesium is a vital mineral whose lack leaves us open to not only radioactive damages but also those from heavy metals and thousands of chemicals, which we are commonly exposed to. Mercury and now a long list of radioactive particles are floating in the environment like invisible clouds that have spread out everywhere. They are raining down on us, damaging and damning our future. We can no longer be passive about building our defenses against the toxic onslaught.

Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely.

Just about everyone who is writing protocols for radiation toxicity is forgetting about the importance of magnesium salts. Worse still are governments and the entire institution of medicine that are purposely ignorant about magnesium, so they cannot possibly be trusted for valuable health and medical information that will help us in our time of dire need. The need was dire before Fukushima but they did not want to admit that; they let the public get obsessed with CO2 emissions and said nothing about the mercury. Now with radioactive nuclides steadily building up in the background, we are in trouble than any of us care to admit. Today the situation has gone nuclear and there has never before been a need so great for detoxification and chelation.

Magnesium is a crucial factor in the natural self-cleansing and detoxification responses of the body. Magnesium is also necessary for effective chelation. It stimulates the sodium potassium pump on the cell wall and this initiates the cleansing process in part because the sodium-potassium-ATPase pump regulates intracellular and extracellular potassium levels. The healthy cell wall favors intake of nutrients and elimination of waste products.

The involvement of free radicals in tissue injury induced by magnesium deficiency causes an accumulation of oxidative products in heart, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle tissues and in red blood cells, leaving them more vulnerable to oxidative stress caused by radiation exposure. Both radiation exposure and heavy metals produce oxidative stress through the creation of increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS -- oxygen free radicals, peroxides, and singlet oxygen). It is known that these increased levels of intracellular ROS are sufficient to trigger apoptosis (cell death).

Glutathione is Magnesium-Dependent

Glutathione protects the cells from oxidative-stress-induced apoptosis and glutathione levels are magnesium dependent! "Glutathione is a very important detoxifying agent, enabling the body to get rid of undesirable toxins and pollutants. It forms a soluble compound with the toxin that can then be excreted through the urine or the gut. The liver and kidneys contain high levels of glutathione as they have the greatest exposure to toxins. The lungs are also rich in glutathione partly for the same reason. Many cancer-producing chemicals, heavy metals, drug metabolites etc. are disposed of in this way," says Dr. Patricia Kongshavn, former professor, department of medicine at McGill University.


Glutathione is a polypeptide,
C10H17N3O6S, of glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.

Glutathione synthetase requires γ-glutamyl cysteine, glycine, ATP, and magnesium ions to form glutathione. In magnesium deficiency, the ss y-glutamyltranspeptidase is lowered. There is a direct relationship between cellular magnesium, GSH/GSSG ratios, and tissue glucose metabolism. Magnesium deficiency causes glutathione loss and this is unwelcome as the clouds of radiation are touching down across the northern hemisphere. Magnesium deficiency causes glutathione loss, which is not at all healthy because glutathione helps to defend the body against damage from cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, cancer chemotherapy, and toxins such as alcohol and just about everything else.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, low magnesium is associated with dramatic increases in free radical generation as well as glutathione depletion and this is vital since glutathione is one of the few antioxidant molecules known to neutralize mercury. "For every molecule of pesticide that your body detoxifies, you throw away or use up forever a molecule of glutathione, magnesium and more," says Dr. Sherry Rogers who goes on to say that, "Your body uses nutrients to make this glutathione and it uses up energy as well. Every time we detoxify a chemical, we use up, lose, throw away forever, a certain amount of nutrients."

Mineral Deficiencies

Deficiencies in basic minerals like magnesium and selenium can make all the difference between health and disease, between being able to withstand chemical, heavy metal and radiation exposure. Dr. Rogers has indicated that there is as much as a 500-fold difference in the ability of individuals to detoxify the same chemicals and much of that will be true for radiation as well. A key marker of this difference is each individual's magnesium level. Deficiencies in magnesium will wreak havoc with our body's ability to detoxify and chelate heavy radioactive particles and explains much of the difference between one person withstanding radiation exposures and another person falling to radiation sickness.

Dr. Leslie Fisher has treated in excess of 35,000 patients where mineral therapy was prescribed as the sole form of medication. He has conducted research within his own clinics and the Department of Psychiatry, Austin Hospital, Melbourne. Mineral therapy is the foundation upon which chelation treatments and protocols are built. Magnesium does protect cells from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel, which explains why re-mineralization is so essential for heavy metal detoxification and chelation as well as radiation protection. Magnesium is essential for the survival of our cells but takes on further importance now where our bodies are being bombarded on a daily basis with heavy metals and radiation.

Radiation and Diabetes

Read More : http://www.naturalnews.com/032596_magnesium_radiation.html#ixzz1OPiWQ4ER

Does Psoriasis Put Me at Risk for Heart Disease?

The risk to your heart from psoriasis may be greater than you think. Here's how to lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

Scientists Discover 'Ultra-Bad' Cholesterol

FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) — A new, "ultra-bad" form of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol has been discovered in people with a high risk for heart disease, according to British researchers.

They found that the cholesterol, called MGmin-LDL, is super-sticky, making it more likely to attach to the walls of arteries and form fatty plaques, which could lead to heart attacks and stroke.

The discovery provides a possible explanation for the increased risk of coronary heart disease in diabetics and could help researchers develop new anti-cholesterol treatments, the researchers suggested.

In the study, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation, University of Warwick researchers created MGmin-LDL in a lab through glycation, which is the adding of sugar groups to normal LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol. The process changed the cholesterol's shape, making it stickier and more likely to build fatty plaques, narrow arteries and reduce blood flow and turning it into what they called "ultra-bad" cholesterol.

The findings, released online May 26 in Diabetes, could have significant implications for the treatment of coronary heart disease, particularly in older people and those with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the researchers said, the results of their study shed light on how a common type 2 diabetes drug, metformin, fights heart disease by blocking the transformation of normal LDL into the super-sticky LDL.

"We're excited to see our research leading to a greater understanding of this type of cholesterol, which seems to contribute to heart disease in diabetics and elderly people," the study's lead researcher, Naila Rabbani, an associate professor of experimental systems biology at Warwick Medical School, said in a university news release.

"The next challenge is to tackle this more dangerous type of cholesterol with treatments that could help neutralize its harmful effects on patients' arteries," she said.

SOURCE

Is Your Sunscreen More Harmful Than Being in the Sun?

Martha Rosenberg
AlterNet

Most people have enough fear of skin cancer and photo-aging to give tanning salons wide berth, pun intended. But how safe are sunscreens themselves? Weeks after the New York Times exposed the caprice in assignment of sun protection factors (SPF) last year, Sen. Charles Schumer (D- New York) called on the FDA to investigate reports that an ingredient in most sunscreens — retinyl palmitate – actually causes cancer.

In one FDA study on animals, dismissed by a dermatologist consultant to sunscreen companies as “very premature to even cast doubt about the safety of this chemical,” retinyl palmitate accelerated tumors and lesions in the sun by 21 percent! (Similar studies on humans not animals would be “unethical” say scientists)

Read more »

Hospitals hunt substitutes as drug shortages rise

A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses - from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest - has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment.

"It's just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we need to save a patient's life and we find out there isn't any," says Dr. Eric Lavonas of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

LINK

Exercise and Erectile Dysfunction

To avoid ED problems before they start, regular exercise is essential. Find out what you need to add to your routine.

Exercise may be the ticket to a more active sex life, but we’re talking about regular cardio and strength workouts, not targeted “penis exercises.” Research shows that even a little bit of physical activity — the equivalent of walking 30 minutes a day a few times a week — may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Why is exercise such an effective remedy for preventing erectile dysfunction?

“For men who have failing erections, the penis is a barometer of what’s happening in the rest of the body,” explains urologist Wayne Hellstrom, MD, professor of urology at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

The key to all of this is the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels that helps blood flow smoothly. Regular exercise has been shown to improve the way the endothelium works. The endothelium lines the blood vessels in the heart and the penis, explains Dr. Hellstrom, but the blood vessels in the penis are about one-third the size of those in the heart. So if you fail to have erections due to vascular problems, that indicates that you’re at risk for heart problems as well.

The bottom line is that taking steps to keep your endothelium healthy will help you prevent or reduce your erectile dysfunction risk. Being more physically active is important to the health of your endothelium and, therefore, to the health of your heart and your penis.

Building Your Exercise Program

The benefits of exercise for your blood vessels last only as long as you keep exercising on a regular basis. Experts recommend that men who want to prevent impotence make a long-term commitment to exercise. Here are some tips to remember:

• Choose activities you enjoy. Your exercise program doesn’t have to be elaborate. In fact, studies have shown that just walking briskly every day for at least three months significantly improves the health of your blood vessels. Aim to be active most days of the week. If you prefer basketball, that’s fine — just keep up the full-court press.
• Spice it up with weight training. Aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, and jogging, is good for your blood vessels, but resistance training has been shown to improve endothelial function as well. A mix of both can help improve your overall health and keep you interested in your workout routine.
• Don’t let your age stop you. Erectile dysfunction is more common as men get older, but at the same time, habitual exercise has been shown to fight the effects of age on blood vessels.
• Check in with your doctor if you haven’t been physically active in a while. It’s a good idea to get your doctor’s approval — and maybe some additional exercise tips — if you’re starting an exercise program from scratch.

The Dubious Claims of So-Called Penis Exercise

As you seek solutions to impotence, you will undoubtedly run into male enhancement recommendations, possibly suggesting penis exercise to improve your erections.

Penis exercise “may sound good,” says Hellstrom, “but I don’t think there are data to support it.”

The phrase “penis exercise” actually refers to exercises known as pelvic floor or Kegel exercises, in which a man focuses on strengthening the muscles that control the flow of urine and ejaculation. These exercises are often recommended to men who are recovering from prostate cancer treatment, have problems with ejaculation, or have a hard time holding their urine, but they do not appear to help erectile dysfunction.

SOURCE

Scientists find "master switch" gene for obesity

Scientists have found that a gene linked to diabetes and cholesterol is a "master switch" that controls other genes found in fat in the body, and say it should help in the search for treatments for obesity-related diseases.

In a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, the British researchers said that since fat plays an important role in peoples' susceptibility to metabolic diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes, the regulating gene could be target for drugs to treat such illnesses.

"This is the first major study that shows how small changes in one master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes," said Tim Spector of King's College London, who led the study.

More than half a billion people, or one in 10 adults worldwide, are obese and the numbers have doubled since the 1980s as the obesity epidemic has spilled over from wealthy into poorer nations.

In the United States, obesity-related diseases already account for nearly 10 percent of medical spending -- an estimated $147 billion a year.

Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, is also reaching epidemic levels worldwide as rates of obesity rise.

Scientists have already identified a gene called KLF14 as being linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but until now they did know what role it played.

Spector's team analyzed more than 20,000 genes in fat samples taken from under the skin of 800 British female twin volunteers. They found a link between the KLF14 gene and the levels of many other distant genes found in fat tissue, showing that KLF14 acts as a master switch to control these genes.

They then confirmed their findings in 600 fat samples from a separate group of people from Iceland.

In a report of their study, the researchers explained that other genes found to be controlled by KLF14 are linked to a range of metabolic traits, including body mass index, obesity, cholesterol, insulin and glucose levels.

"KLF14 seems to act as a master switch controlling processes that connect changes in the behavior of subcutaneous fat to disturbances in muscle and liver that contribute to diabetes and other conditions," said Mark McCarthy from Britain's Oxford University, who also worked on the study.

"We are working hard...to understand these processes and how we can use this information to improve treatment of these conditions."

LINK

New test that tells you how long you'll live

DNA breakthrough heralds new medical era – and opens ethical Pandora's box

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

A blood test that can show how fast someone is ageing – and offers the tantalising possibility of estimating how long they have left to live – is to go on sale to the general public in Britain later this year.

How the test works: Click here to upload graphic (120kb)

MORE>>>

Substance in Tangerines Blocks Diabetes in Mice Fed High-Sugar, High-Fat Diets

Canadian scientists have found that nobiletin, a substance found in high concentrations in tangerines, thwarted obesity and the onset of diabetes in lab mice. The researchers at the University of Western Ontario fed the mice a high-sugar, high-fat diet that mimicked the diet of many people in Western societies. One group of animals became obese, developing fatty livers and elevated levels of cholesterol and insulin-typical precursors to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But a second group of mice, given the flavonoid nobiletin, did not develop the symptoms of the first group. The nobiletin prevented fatty buildup in the liver by blocking the genes that control the production of fat.

Flavonoids are compounds found in plants, often as pigments, that are highly anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory. Nobiletin, which is found in citrus fruits, occurs in its highest concentration in tangerines. The Canadian scientists also found that nobiletin protected the lab mice from atherosclerosis, arterial plaque build-up that can lead to heart attack or stroke.

The research leader, Murray Huff, a vascular biologist at the university, had previously found a flavonoid in grapefruits, naringenin, that offered lab mice protection against obesity. Huff said, however, that nobiletin offers 10 times the level of protection against obesity that naringenin does.

Results of the Canadian study, published in the medical journal Diabetes, open the door for studies on nobiletin's effects on human test subjects.

LINK