Over dependence and use of medication today

It is quite good to see an MD willing to educate patients to be more self reliant and less dependent on drugs.  Thinking that you need a doctor to prescribe a pill for every little twinge is a sure indication you have turned over your health to some one who might not really offer you the best remedy.

This belief also undermines your right to be in charge of your health.

My advice: Get more education.  And don't be afraid to ask question, demand answers.

All of this is becoming very true too with natural remedies.  Sadly it is true of the new hybrid practice called "naturopathic medicine".

Doctor draws our attention to the uncertainty of medical practice: We are scientists. But the Big Book of Medical Facts is in fact just a pamphlet printed at home, with two paragraphs in a very large font. The only certainty of science is uncertainty. Medicine is often little more than an opinion, a faith system: we believe that what we do is right. This is despite history telling us that what we do now is almost certainly wrong. Our faith has invented words, rituals, elaborate costumes, and a culture of reverence and deference. SOURCE

The over dependence and use of medication in today's society

 

by Nicole Evans M.D.

Everybody over the age of 55 should be on a pill to lower their blood pressure. Oh, and we might as well just go ahead and put statins in the water. Well, at least that's what the latest research suggests.
An impressive study was recently published that analyzed data from over 100 studies on the use of blood pressure medications. This study came to the conclusion that we don't need to measure blood pressure anymore because any decrease in blood pressure is beneficial, whether you have hypertension or not.
These authors suggest we should put everyone on a daily blood pressure pill. Their study came out riding close on the heels of another "landmark" study that was done on statins. The statin study came to a similar conclusion, namely that a daily dose of statin is good for everyone, whether you have high cholesterol or not.
Armed with these study results, a pharmaceutical company is poised and ready to market a break through polypill. A pill that contains a couple blood pressure lowering meds, a statin, and, of course, don't forget the daily baby aspirin. Imagine, all these meds in one little pill for our daily lifetime use. This sounds like a bad sci fi movie about some flawed futuristic society.
Is the human body really so flawed that we all require medications? Have we lost our ability to heal ourselves, to care for ourselves, to prevent disease and illness in ourselves? What in the world is going on?
Our society uses medications to prevent disease, to treat the cause of disease, to treat the symptoms of disease, and to even to treat the side effects caused by all the medications.
Pharmaceutical companies are massively lucrative businesses. Primary care physicians are pharmacists who happen to know how to diagnose and refer patients to surgeons. Natural medicine companies are popping up like wildflowers in response to the consumer's intuitive distrust of prescription meds, allowing individuals to trade one pill for another and feel good about it.
The over dependence and over use of medication is a rampant problem in today's society. Many individual's turn to a pill and away from proactive involvement in their own health. They relinquish power without a second thought but scowl at prescription costs and whine to their doctors about the side effects.
Pills are promising, shiny, colorful little monsters. An easy fix in the palm of your hand. Is there a solution to this problem? Can we empower individuals with alternatives to medications, to means and methods of improving health that could provide benefits far beyond the quick fix?
Some of us would like to think so. The other day a colleague asked if I had any Tylenol for her throbbing headache. Instead I showed her how to rub a few acupressure spots while doing some deep breathing. Problem fixed, no pills involved.
Can we let our food be medicine, our physical activity be medicine, our thoughts be medicine? Can we begin to listen to our bodies and respond to our needs instead of ignoring or repressing them? Can we learn when a pill is necessary and when other medication-free options are the clear answer?
The answer is a brilliant, hopeful YES. But this will require a paradigm shift. Patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, the healthcare system at large will have to change. Seems like a daunting task, but have hope. Too bad we don't have a pill for that.

Vaccines Ultimately Not Effective

“There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza. The producers of these vaccines know that they are worthless, but they go on selling them anyway.”-

J. Anthony Morris, MD (former FDA Chief Vaccine Control Officer)

PLEASE remember this when you are listening to Bill Gates' current PR spots for vaccines.  Gates has publicly stated that vaccines are good for population control.

In 1926 the AMA announced it was aware of neurological damage caused by vaccines, especially the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (DPT today).

Polio vaccine can cause cancer and other illnesses, including polio. 


Iodine was successfully used in Canada in the 1940s and 50s to cure polio.

Low Levels of Vitamin D Increase Melanoma Risk

I do quite a lot of reading and repeatedly I see numerous health problems connected with low levels of FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS and at the same time the push for non-fat food continues.

Again I have to repeat:  If you do not have adequate fat, 2% dairy products at a minimum, you cannot efficiently absorb fat soluble vitamins.

I have been studying nutrition for more than 4 decades and I am pretty sure I know what I am talking about. My best advice is to follow the 2% rule, avoid (especially soy and canola) most vegetable oils except for olive oil and coconut oil, make sure to have some hormone free butter each day, and don't be a fat-a-phobic.  



   Tanning: Vitamins B1 and C can be used to protect your skin, but Suma and DMG can help if skin cancer is an issue for you. 
BYDGOSZCZ, Poland—Results from a recent Polish study found a reduction or absence of vitamin D receptor is linked to progression of melanocytic lesions, and its lack affects survival of melanoma patients, and melanogenesis can attenuate receptor expression (Hum Pathol. 2011 Feb 1). 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 affects proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and protects DNA against oxidative damage with a net tumorostatic and anti-carcinogenic effect. It acts through a specific nuclear receptor that is widely distributed through the body. Although a beneficial role of vitamin D in melanoma patients has been suggested, there is lack of information on the changes in the expression pattern of vitamin D receptor during progression of pigmented lesions. Using immunohistochemistry, researchers analyzed the expression of vitamin D receptor in 140 samples obtained form 82 patients, including 25 benign nevi, 70 primary cutaneous melanomas, 35 metastases, 5 re-excisions and 5 normal skin biopsies.
The strongest expression was observed in normal skin that significantly decreased in melanocytic proliferations with the following order of expression: normal skin > melanocytic nevi > melanomas = metastases. The vitamin D receptor expression in skin surrounding nevi and melanoma was also significantly reduced as compared to normal skin. Tumor-infiltrating and lymph node lymphocytes retained high levels of vitamin D receptor. There was negative correlation between tumor progression and vitamin D receptor expression with a remarkable decrease of the immunoreactivity in nuclei of melanoma cells at vertical versus radial growth phases and with metastatic melanomas showing the lowest cytoplasmic receptor staining. Furthermore, lack of the receptor expression in primary melanomas and metastases was related to shorter overall patients' survival. In addition, the receptor expression decreased in melanized melanoma cells in comparison to amelanotic or poorly pigmented cells. The researchers concluded changes in vitamin D receptor expression pattern can serve as important variables for diagnosis, predicting clinical outcome of melanogenesis and/or as a guidance for novel therapy of melanomas based on use of vitamin D or its derivatives. Source: Inside Cosmeceuticals.com
Selections from Natural Health News
Natural Health News: FDA and Drug Risks
Sep 07, 2008
The FDA also said it is evaluating reports of urinary retention with Eli Lilly's antidepressant Cymbalta, and skin melanoma with Biogen and Elan Corp's multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri. Biogen spokeswoman Shannon Altimari said two cases ...
Natural Health News: Airport X-Ray Machines: UPDATE
Aug 04, 2010
As we grow older, our DNA accumulates a considerable amount of unrepairable damage, and under such circumstances even low doses of radiation can trigger the development of skin cancers, including the deadly melanoma. ...
Acquired Diseases > Hereditary Illnesses
Aug 03, 2010
Martin's colleague Catherine Suter of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney is studying whether melanoma patients have epimutations in genes associated with the cancer. It is also conceivable that epimutations could play ...
Large Numbers of Breast Cancer Cases Avoidable
Mar 25, 2010
Other lifestyle factors like smoking and spending time in the sun have long been implicated in lung cancer and melanoma. Experts say there is now increasing evidence that what people eat and how much they weigh can contribute ...

Choosing fresh fruit in the supermarket

There is an art to buying fresh fruit. You just need to know what to look for, what it should smell like and how it should feel

by Aliona Avduhova

Modern supermarkets sell fruit from all over the world. In countries like the UK consumers are able to source fruit whatever the season imported from anywhere on the planet. Unfortunately, with this ever increasing variety and abundance of produce does not come an increase in quality. Often fruit sold in the shopping aisles is passed its best or picked before it has even had chance to ripen. How many times have you got home ready to tuck into the juicy piece of fruit only to find it is dry and tasteless?

There is an art to buying fresh fruit. You just need to know what to look for, what it should smell like and how it should feel. It’s time to start using those senses!

Sight
The first thing you should use when buying fruit is your eyes. Just looking out for some of these simple warning signs will help you identify fruit to steer clear of.

What to look for - fruit to avoid:

- Bruises
- Cracks
- Holes
- wrinkles

Bruised or cracked fruit may have been damaged in transit, wrinkles can be a sign of loss of water, and holes could indicate an insect has entered the fruit at some point.

It is a mistake to just judge a fruit by colour – there are many different varieties of fruit and lots of different colours. For example many oranges are green and simply only choosing oranges that look the brightest orange will not help you pick the best fruit.

Touch
Next is your sense is touch. Here are a few things to feel for when shopping for your five a day.

What to feel for – fruit to avoid:

- Fruit that is light for its size
- Too soft
- Too firm

It is not size per say that is the chief indicator of quality here, but more weight compared to size. The best fruit is juicy and heavy for its size. Avoid that big colourful orange that feels really light for its size. Give the fruit a squeeze. Avoid over ripe soft fruit that feels like it could be easily squashed. Likewise avoid fruit that is too firm and fells like you could use it to tile your kitchen floor with.

Smell

The much underused of all your supermarket organs! Your olfactory system is actually one of the best senses you have to recognise fruit at its best.

What to smell for:

- Doesn’t smell of anything - not ripe yet
- Smells too sweet or smells off then it – passed its best

Watch out for that malodorous mango or pongy plumb. Fruit that doesn’t smell of anything is as equally unappetising, if it doesn’t smell of anything it generally doesn’t taste of anything.

Waxing

One thing to look out for when inspected your potential purchase is waxing. Waxing is often used by supermarkets to make fruit appear fresher than it actually is. Avoid waxed fruit if you are planning to use them for cooking or baking as it can adversely affect flavour.

There are some specific things to remember for specific fruits, so here is a handy checklist of some of the most popular fruits and what to look out for:

- Apples – Firm to touch, avoid soft apples. Look for bright colour for variety.
- Bananas – Fairly firm, avoid bruised fruit, should be slightly green turning yellow for longer shelf life.
- Cantaloupe Melons – Light aroma, slightly yellow skin.
- Oranges – Heavy for size are juicier. Choose oranges with a smooth skin.
- Pears – Softly press at stem end. Ripe pears will give slightly to pressure.
- Plums – Avoid hard or wrinkled plums. Ripe plums will give slightly to pressure.

by Aliona Avduhova
07 February 2011 Teatro Naturale International n. 2 Year 3
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