Your body temperature is regulated by complex communication with your hypothalamus, vascular system and skin.1 It is a measure of how well you can make and release heat. The objective is to maintain your body at a consistent temperature to provide your organs, enzymes and hormones an optimal environment. When your body temperature rises (hyperthermia) or falls (hypothermia) it can be dangerous or life threatening.2 On average, the temperature taken in your rectum or ear may be slightly higher than one that is taken across your forehead or under your arm. When taken in your mouth it will lie between one taken rectally and one under your arm. Your temperature may fluctuate during the day and across different areas of your body. For instance, it may rise or fall by 1 degree Fahrenheit (F) depending upon your activity level and environmental temperature. Temperature is also sensitive to hormonal levels, which helps women estimate ovulation by taking their temperature before getting out of bed in the morning. Body temperature has become an integral part of measuring illness, yet the origin of the generally accepted 98.6 F as a normal temperature is linked to a single study.3 Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich is credited with the clinical application of a thermometer and the determination of a normal temperature. Normal Temperatures Have Dropped to Lower Than 98.6Researchers from Stanford University4 undertook a massive study5 to evaluate whether the norm established in 1850 still was accurate. They found the average temperature is not what it once was. Dr. Julie Parsonnet, professor of medicine, says, "What everybody grew up learning, which is that our normal temperature is 98.6, is wrong." Personnet and her team evaluated three datasets over different historical periods: from military service medical and pension records of U.S. Army Veterans of the Civil War; from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1971 to 1975; and from the Stanford Translational Research Integrated Database Environment pulled from 2007 to 2017. In total there were 677,423 measurements from which they developed a model to find trends. They determined that men born in the early to mid-1990s had temperatures averaging 1.06 F lower than men born in the 1800s. The average temperature of women born in the 1990s was 0.58 F lower than that of women from a century earlier. The numbers reflected an average decrease of 0.05 F every 10 years. The researchers also questioned if the drop was the result of better instrumentation. However, they found a similar decline in temperatures in men in the veteran's dataset with each decade where the same instruments were used. Parsonnet commented on the results of the study:
The researchers postulated the reductions may be a result of different ambient environments. However, Kenneth Welch, Ph.D., who was not involved in the study, proposed that many of the medications people in the U.S. are taking, such as ibuprofen and statins, affect temperature measurement.6 Thinking along that line, Civil War veterans would not have consistently taken medications as people currently do. Although the results are interesting, Welch doesn't believe it will make a difference in the day-to-day lives of individuals. He believes an alteration in normal or average temperatures is important to note, but it is crucial to discern when a change may indicate a serious condition. Is a Fever Still a Fever?Welch commented that even infections without any significant symptoms may trigger a small rise in temperature. Body temperature increases may be caused by environmental factors, infections, reactions to vaccinations or medication, or even an allergy.7 Rising body temperature is called a fever, even when the increased measurement is not caused by a viral or bacterial infection. However, this type of high temperature doesn't usually trigger the same body aches or headaches you experience with an infection. Conversely, hypothermia (low body temperature) is what happens when you lose heat faster than your body can create it. This is a medical emergency.8 As your body temperature drops, your organs and vital systems can't do their job; this has to be treated immediately or it will be fatal. To regulate temperature your hypothalamus communicates with your skin, body fluids, salt concentrations, blood vessels and sweat glands9 in a process called thermoregulation.10 When you experience a fever, it's a natural response to an external stimulus, such as infection, allergy or a reaction to a medication. In other words, something is out of the ordinary. In adults, a temperature at 103 F or higher is cause for medical attention. However, in infants and toddlers, even low rises in temperature may indicate a serious infection.11 Symptoms that may accompany a fever, depending on the trigger, may include:
Can Temperature Variation Predict Mortality?Another research team designed a six-year study observational to determine if variations in individual body temperature were correlated with measurements of health.12 From 2009 to 2014 they enrolled 35,488 patients from outpatient clinics at a large teaching hospital who presented without infection, fever or having been prescribed antibiotics at the visit. The group consisted of 64% women and 41% who were of a nonwhite race. The study was designed to examine any correlations among medical health conditions, demographics and one-year mortality rate. The researchers measured each individual's temperature in a room where the ambient temperature was the same for all participants. A total of 243,506 temperatures were taken. Interestingly, the mean (average) temperature of the large patient cohort was 97.88 F, similar to the decline in average temperatures found in the Stanford study. The researchers also found that demographically, those with the lowest temperatures were older, while those with the highest were black women. When physical conditions were considered, participants with lower temperatures were more likely to have hypothyroidism, while those with higher temperatures were more likely to have a higher body mass index or a diagnosis of cancer. After controlling for variables, the researchers determined that an unexplained temperature fluctuation should be taken seriously:
How to Take an Accurate TemperatureYou have several different options for taking a temperature at home.13 A digital thermometer can be used in the mouth or rectum or under the arm. Purchase disposable protective sleeves to help keep things clean and to make sure you're not passing germs from person to person. If you plan to take both oral and rectal temperatures, have a separate thermometer for each use and make sure they're labeled accordingly. While rectal thermometer readings are most accurate for infants younger than three months, talk with your pediatrician before doing this because it can perforate (poke a hole in) the rectum.14 When taking an oral temperature, wait at least 15 minutes after consuming anything to avoid an inaccurate reading. A tympanic thermometer takes a digital reading from the inside of the ear canal. It must be positioned correctly to get an accurate and quick reading. You'll find earwax and small canals interfere with accuracy, as will age. That's why this type of thermometer isn't recommended for use with newborns. A temporal artery thermometer may be labeled as a forehead thermometer; this type uses an infrared scanner to test the temporal artery temperature. While this is more accurate for children three months and older, it is also more expensive and must be placed over the artery to get an accurate reading. One type that may be useful in children is built into a pacifier. The time it takes to get an accurate reading from a digital pacifier thermometer is variable, from two to four minutes. Data show the temperature taken with a digital pacifier thermometer should be adjusted upward by 0.5 F to approximate a reading from a rectal thermometer.15,16 While glass mercury thermometers were once a staple, they are no longer recommended because mercury is toxic. The type of thermometer you choose may not be as important as following the manufacturer's directions to achieve an accurate reading, ensuring you don't pass germs with use and you don't rely on a temperature alone to determine how sick you may be. Consider additional symptoms, especially dehydration, lethargy and confusion. Should You Feed a Fever, Starve a Cold or Vice Versa?The question of whether to feed a fever and starve a cold (or the reverse) has been the subject of much debate.17 Since you may experience a fever anytime during the year, not just during cold and flu season, be on the lookout for symptoms of illness. You can tell the difference between a cold and flu by the severity of your symptoms and how high your fever gets. The rule of thumb is that if you feel hungry, then eat, regardless of your temperature. The caveat to consider is whether you are vomiting; see my tips on what to do when this happens. As it turns out, what you have been eating may make a difference in how sick you get — or not. In one animal study,18 mice fed a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet had a lower inflammatory response and an improved ability to withstand flu. Those fed a standard diet were all infected with the virus after exposure, as compared to 50% of those eating a ketogenic diet.19 The researchers discovered the immune system in the group eating a keto diet promoted gamma-delta T cells in the lungs. These cells increase mucus production to protect from viral infection by trapping the virus and keeping it from spreading. To eat a ketogenic diet, aim for 50% to 85% of your daily calories from healthy fats. In addition, seek to limit net carbohydrates to 20 to 50 grams each day. Your net carbohydrates are measured by subtracting grams of fiber from your total carbohydrates. You may improve this limitation by cutting out carbohydrates from grains and all forms of sugar, including fruit high in fructose. Add healthy sources of fat to your daily intake, such as avocados, coconut oil, butter, seeds, olives, olive oil and fatty fish. Macadamia nuts and pecans are high in healthy fat and low in protein, making them ideal to add into your meals or as snacks. Seek to include organic, pastured egg yolks, grass fed animal products, MCT oil and raw cacao to raise your level of healthy fats. Avoid all trans fats and vegetable oils as they trigger more cellular damage than excess carbohydrates. For more benefits, seek to incorporate a cyclical ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting to support your immune system and overall health. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/01/human-body-temperature-decreasing.aspx
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In the December 2019 interview, "Irregulators vs. FCC: Exposing and Prosecuting a Vast, Illegal Financial Scandal in Telecommunications,"1 Josh del Sol — who directed the documentary films "Take Back Your Power" (a film detailing the dangers of smart meters) and "InPower Episode 1: A Mass Action of Liability" (which reveals how you can refuse smart meters) — talks to Bruce Kushnick and W. Scott McCollough, Esq. about their lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Vast Corruption UncoveredKushnick, a telecom analyst, and attorney McCollough, a former Texas assistant attorney general, are part of a group called The Irregulators, which has exposed a vast and illegal financial scandal in the telecommunications industry. Kushnick and McCollough are spearheading the organization's lawsuit against the FCC. As noted on del Sol's website:2
Disrupting the Funding That Drives 5G DeploymentAs explained by McCollough, the aim of the lawsuit is to get the FCC "to recognize the fact that basic telephone rate payers — wire line customers — have been funding deployment of wireless in general, and now 5G in particular, through their basic phone bills." If the prosecution is successful, the FCC will either have to eliminate this illegal subsidy to the wireless industry, or "step aside and allow individual states decide whether they want to do so," McCollough says. Nationwide, this redirection of funds amounts to about $1 trillion over the past 15 years, and without this money, 5G would not have been possible. Were the wireless industry forced to pay its fair share of construction and maintenance, local (i.e., wired) phone rates would go down while the cost to wireless providers would rise, as they'd have to pay far more for the fiber optic cables needed to continue the expansion and advancement of wireless, thus making 5G uneconomical as a consumer product. In other words, this lawsuit has the potential to alter the telecommunications industry from the ground up. As noted by McCollough, the lawsuit "is a knife in the heart of the economics that currently drive 5G … 5G cannot sustain itself on an economic basis if it has to pay its own way." The full story behind the lawsuit is detailed in Kushnick's book, "The Book of Broken Promises: $400 Billion Broadband Scandal & Free the Net," available on Amazon4 in paperback and Kindle. A free PDF version of the book is also available for download.5 In his book, Kushnick breaks down what state utilities are, the history of telecommunications and how we've gotten to this point with advanced wireless and 5G. It's fodder and ammunition for anyone wanting to help stop the implementation of 5G and redirect us back to the far safer alternative of fiber optic broadband. Broken PromisesIn the interview, Kushnick explains how wired customers ended up paying for our wireless infrastructure. The telephone wires that telephone companies use to provide service are part of a state utility. These copper wires were installed across the U.S. starting in the 1930s until the 1970s, so that no matter where you went in the U.S., there was a phone available. Ma Bell owned most of the state utilities until 1984, when its monopoly was broken up into regional Bell companies. In 1992, Vice President Al Gore campaigned on a promise that everyone in America would have fiber optic wire through their home and office by 2010. State utilities agreed to set aside a small amount from each customer's bill to fund the nationwide conversion to fiber optics. However, by 2000, virtually none of the fiber optic wiring had been done. As noted by Kushnick, "they basically pocketed the money." By the end of 2000, California alone was supposed to have 5.5 million households finished, at a projected cost of $16 billion. In 1998-1999, the FCC started tracking broadband, but they left out the states' financial commitments. In other words, Kushnick says, they covered up the fact that state utilities had collected money for the implementation of fiber optics that was never actually done. According to Kushnick, between 1993 and 2004 alone, state utilities overcharged customers a total of $200 billion for fiber optics wiring that was promised but never installed. As noted by McCollough:
An Even Bigger Accounting ScandalBut this is only half of the scandal. The Irregulators discovered an even bigger fraud. Financial documents obtained from Verizon New York (New York's official telecom utility), reveal wireless service providers are stealing funds from wireline rate payers to the tune of $60 billion per year in New York alone, and FCC rules are what allow for this theft. In a simplified nutshell, the FCC froze its cost-accounting rules in 2000, and by so doing, allowed telecom companies to manipulate their books in such a way that local service revenues (i.e., monies collected for wired phone services) could be allocated to pay for the buildout of wireless infrastructure. For example, the expenses telecoms paid in 2019 were based on the same expense percentage as in 2000. Twenty years ago, local service, meaning the wired phone service, provided a majority of the revenue and paid a majority (65%) of the expenses, such as construction and maintenance. In 2019, Verizon New York's local service accounted for a mere 21% of the utility's revenue, yet still accounted for more than 60% of the company's expenses. The FCC's policies, Kushnick and McCollough explain, have created and allowed for a cross-subsidy practice in which wireless services are being paid for by wireline customers, while wireless companies are paying only a fraction of the expenses they incur. What's more, McCollough points out that whatever fiber optic wiring was in fact deployed is now being repurposed for wireless services. So, in that sense, the two fraud scenarios are interrelated. What this has all led to is that, on the books, wired telephone service appears to be very expensive and unprofitable when, in reality, wireless is less expensive simply because it's been illegally subsidized. If wireless companies were no longer allowed a free ride, there would be billions of dollars available in each state, each year, to install broadband fiber optics, which would eliminate the need for wireless 5G. Now, the reason all of this corruption and fraud has been allowed to occur is because the FCC is a captured agency — and has been for decades, McCollough says. The wireless industry has taken over the very agency that is supposed to regulate and oversee it, and without oversight, the foxes have raided the henhouse. For more details, see Irregulators.org,6 where you can find an audio recording of McCullough's January 17, 2020, oral arguments before the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. If you'd like to make a donation to help fund this legal fight, you'll find a link to that at the top of the page as well. The Way Forward: Taking Back Our UtilitiesMcCollough and Kushnick are optimistic about our ability to block 5G. In the interview, they sum up how, by teaming up with our local officials, residents in all states can fight back by demanding their state telecom utility return the misappropriated funds and allocate them back into broadband fiber optics.
The key goal, and the answer to the 5G dilemma, McCollough points out, is to upgrade to fiber optic wiring across the nation. It's not only fast, but also far safer, from a health standpoint, than wireless. And, as noted by Irregulators.org, 5G still requires fiber optic wiring, so why not just stop there? Fiber optics is certainly safer than 5G — and we already paid for it. It's time we demand our state utilities return the stolen money and make good on their promise to bring fiber optics into every home and office. As noted on Irregulators.org:7
We've Been 'EMF*D'Over the past decade, I've written many articles discussing the evidence of biological harm from nonionizing electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation, which I believe is one of the greatest challenges to public health facing us today. For a refresher, see my previous article, "Reduce EMF Exposure." For a recap on the additional hazards brought on by 5G, see "5G Apocalypse: The Extinction Event," which features a documentary by the same name, or "Scientific American Warns: 5G Is Unsafe." My new book, "EMF*D," is an attempt to inform you about the hidden harms of EMF and what you need to do to protect yourself and those you love. I also reveal the reasons why you've been left in the dark about this serious health threat. In it, you'll learn:
>>>>> Click Here <<<<< from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/01/irregulators-vs-fcc.aspx If you're feeling tired, cranky, stressed out and overwhelmed, you're likely heading quickly down the slippery slope to burnout. Burnout, which is a term used to describe physical or emotional exhaustion that's typically the result of prolonged stress or frustration,1 is a common human condition, but definitely not a desirable one. A 2018 Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found that 23% feel burned out at work always or very often, while another 44% said they sometimes feel burned out. That amounts to about two-thirds of full-time employees feeling burnout while they're at work.2 Yet, work is only one route to burnout. Other areas of life, such as control, reward, community, fairness and values3 — and how well each of these is served in your life — also correlate with burnout, some of which are more easily tackled and changed than others. Perhaps the best lesson on burnout, however, is to take action against it before it has consumed you. Once you're officially burned out, it can be hard to dig yourself out of the hole. But if you make proactive changes ahead of time, on a regular basis and certainly if you feel yourself start to slide downhill, you may be able to avoid burnout entirely, staying emotionally and physically strong instead. Three Anti-Burnout Foundations: Sleep, Diet and ExerciseTaking care of your body on a physical level is the foundation of avoiding burnout, and this starts with the three pillars of health: proper sleep, diet and exercise. Data from the U.S. CDC suggests one-third of U.S. adults are not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night,4 and most people likely need closer to eight hours to be healthy. When you don't sleep, your mood, productivity and inclination to make positive lifestyle choices can suffer, and your body's ability to handle stress will be impaired. Poor sleep lessens a person's self-control, which in turn increases the rate of selfish impulses leading to unwanted behaviors — even workplace theft.5 Insufficient sleep, in fact, predicts clinical burnout and combines with other risk factors, namely preoccupation with thoughts of work during leisure time and high work demands, to increase burnout risk.6 Not only is getting proper sleep important to avoiding burnout but it can also help you recover from burnout once it occurs.7 What you eat is also fundamentally important. A healthy diet that optimizes mitochondrial function and limits inflammation will bolster your body's ability resilience and ability to ward off stress, providing you with the energy for physical and mental strength. Optimizing your omega-3, vitamin D and magnesium levels can also help reduce stress and positively impact brain health. Exercise is the third essential to avoiding burnout, and exercising three to five days a week for 45 minutes has been suggested as the "sweet spot" that leads to the greatest mental health gains.8 In a large study involving 1.2 million U.S. adults, participants reported their activity levels for one month along with rating their mental well-being. On average, people who exercised reported 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health in the past month compared to those who did not.9 This may be, in part, because exercise has been found to create new neurons designed to release the GABA neurotransmitter, which inhibits excessive neuronal firing, helping to induce a natural state of calm.10 Align Your Life With Your PersonalityIf you're living a lifestyle that's contradictory to your true personality or values, it can also cause mental fatigue and anguish, facilitating burnout. In The New York Times, Robert L. Bogue, co-author of "Extinguish Burnout: A Practical Guide to Prevention and Recovery," explained:11
Toward this end, it's important to take time to recharge in the way that feels right to you. For some, recharging may require spending time with others while some people can only regroup via solitude. Along these lines, prioritize activities that make you feel energized while avoiding those that drag you down. This likely means you'll need to learn to say "no" and make a point to engage in activities that make you happy and create "flow." Flow, according to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is the secret to happiness and occurs when you are completely absorbed in an activity (often one that involves creativity).12 When you're immersed in flow, your sense of time becomes distorted because nearly all of your brain's available inputs are devoted to the activity at hand, Csikszentmihalyi states. If you're depressed and unable to fully give your attention to the present moment, and as a result find time is agonizingly slow, mindfulness-based therapies may be very helpful, particularly in cases of a depressed perception of time.13 As Csikszentmihalyi said, "The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times … The best moments usually occur if a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile."14 Taking the time to pursue such moments can be a key to avoiding the burned out feeling that comes from excessive time spent on activities you do not enjoy or which drain you of mental and physical energy. Work With Your RealityTo some extent, you have to learn to be happy and manage stress within your existing reality. You can take steps to start a new career or otherwise change aspects of your life that are contributing to burnout, but in the immediacy it's important to, at a bare minimum, use strategies to control your day-to-day work stress. This may include meditation, exercise or time with family and friends. Ideally, find work that suits your personality and gives you meaning and purpose, but if you don't have that, remember that you can find purpose in nonwork pursuits including volunteering and hobbies. Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time management coach and author of "The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment, How to Invest Your Time Like Money, and Divine Time Management," wrote in The New York Times:15
Foster Self-AcceptanceSelf-acceptance is an important part of psychological health and involves accepting all of your attributes, both positive and negative. "Self-acceptance enables an individual to appropriately evaluate his/her efficient and inefficient features and accept any negative aspects as parts of their personality," researchers wrote in the journal PLOS One.16 Self-acceptance includes three main attitudes, including love for your body, even if you're not completely satisfied with your weight, fitness level or any other physical attribute. It also involves the ability to protect yourself from others' negative judgments, such that you don't let it phase you if other people judge you. Self-acceptance also involves recognizing and appreciating your own capabilities and believing in yourself. People who have high levels of self-acceptance tend to also have higher levels of self-esteem and interpersonal satisfaction. They're also less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and obesity.17 In the video above, Julie Schiffman demonstrates a simple technique to help you love and accept yourself — something most of us can benefit from. Schiffman is a practitioner of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which is a form of psychological acupressure that involves tapping with the fingertips on specific meridians in order to clear negative emotions and thought patterns. This is but one way to bring more self-love into your life, akin to giving your inner critic a giant bear hug. How to Heal BurnoutPreventing burnout is easier than recovering from it, but it's possible to get better by focusing on balance in key areas of your life, namely physical, spiritual, work and relationship aspects of your life. First, it's important to be aware of the signs of burnout and take action as soon as (or ideally before) they occur:18
Burnout predicts a number of physical and psychological effects as well, including the following, which highlights the importance of preventing and healing from this deleterious condition:19
In the interview above, Dr. Joseph Maroon, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and author of "Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life," speaks on the topic of burnout — something he, too, once struggled with. He explains that recovering from burnout (or avoiding it in the first place) boils down to finding and maintaining a balance between your work life, physical activities, relationships and spirituality or mindfulness. Only by nurturing all aspects of life can you feel truly fulfilled and centered, so if you find yourself feeling off balance, place your attention on the areas you've been neglecting. As Maroon noted:
Likewise, Saunders also suggests following your inner truth as a key to fulfillment: "By investing your time based on the truth of your body, personality and reality, you can reduce your risk of burnout."20 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/30/how-to-avoid-burnout.aspx If you're like most people, chances are you're consuming unhealthy amounts of sugar on a regular basis. Even if you're not big on candy, most processed foods will provide you with an excessive amount of added sugars. As noted in the BBC One report "The Truth About Sugar," a serving of Pad Thai noodles contains 9.5 teaspoons of sugar and a package of sweet and sour chicken with rice contains 12.5 teaspoons, which is more than a can of soda. A can of baked beans contains 6 teaspoons of sugar, which would ideally be your grand total for the day, so it's important to realize that it's not merely cakes, cookies, candy and ice cream that get people into trouble. Even many baby foods contain shocking amounts of sugar,1,2 which can set your child on the path of lifelong sugar addiction and the health problems that go along with it. The idea that sugar is addictive is not new. A number of studies have shown it acts much like other addictive substances. One of the latest studies looking at the addictive potential of sugar was published in the November 2019 issue of Scientific Reports,3,4,5,6,7 in which they point out that "Excessive sucrose consumption elicits addiction-like craving that may underpin the obesity epidemic." Sugar Alters Your Brain ChemistryBy using PET imaging along with beta-opioid and dopamine receptor agonists, the researchers were able to show how sucrose affects the brain chemistry in miniature pigs. The miniature pigs were chosen for the fact that they have well-defined subcortical and prefrontal cortical regions, which "enable a more direct translation to human brain function." As explained by the authors:8
Even a single exposure to sucrose produced as much as a 14% decrease in carfentanil (a beta-opioid receptor agonist) binding in the nucleus accumbens and cingulate cortex, which is consistent with opioid release. In more layman terms, sugar consumption triggers the release of natural opioids and dopamine in your brain, thus lowering the availability of those receptors. Reduced receptor availability is a sign of overstimulation, as when your brain gets overstimulated, it downregulates the receptors in order to protect your brain from damage. The drawback of this protective mechanism is that you now need a higher dose of the substance to get the same pleasure response, and this is a key mechanism by which addiction develops. You can learn more about the mechanics of addiction in my interview with Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of "The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction." Sugar Affects Your Brain Like Other Addictive DrugsFigure 4 from the Scientific Reports study shows how carfentanil binding potential changed from baseline levels over the course of 12 days. Figure 6 shows the change in raclopride, a selective antagonist on dopamine receptors.9 Figure 4: Regional analysis of carfentanil bonding potential between baseline and after 12 days of sucrose water exposure. Figure 6: Regional analysis of raclopride bonding potential between baseline and after 12 days of sucrose water exposure. According to the authors, "The results clearly demonstrate that sucrose affects reward mechanisms in a manner similar to that of drugs of abuse."10 In the discussion section of the paper, they further explain:
Other Brain Changes Triggered by Excessive SugarOther research has shown daily sugar consumption impairs spatial memory and inhibits neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory processes.11 Research12 on rats has also shown a high-sugar diet tends to alter inhibitory neurons in the prefrontal cortex, where decision-making and impulse control are centered. Aside from impaired impulse control and the inability to delay gratification, this alteration may also increase the risk of mental health problems in children and adolescents. As noted in a 2015 study:13
Eliminating Sugar Is a Quick Route to Improved HealthNeedless to say, a high-sugar diet will also take a toll on your health by packing on unwanted pounds, and the pace can be remarkably rapid. As noted in the BBC program, "The Truth About Sugar" (hyperlinked at the beginning of this article), drinking three cups of tea or coffee per day with 2 teaspoons of sugar added to each cup can result in a 9.9-pound weight gain (4.5 kilos) in a single year, provided you don't increase your physical activity to burn off the extra calories. When you consider that most consume five or six times more added sugar than that each day, it's easy to see how obesity has become more the norm than the exception. The World Health Organization recommends limiting your daily sugar consumption to 10% of your total intake, or better yet, 5%, which equates to about 6 teaspoons or 25 grams, if you want to really optimize your health.14 The good news is research15,16,17 shows reducing added sugars from an average of 27% of daily calories down to about 10% can improve biomarkers associated with health in as little as 10 days — even when overall calorie count and percentage of carbohydrates remains the same. While this sounds simple enough, it can be tricky business if your diet consists primarily of processed foods. According to SugarScience.org, added sugars hide in 74% of processed foods under more than 60 different names. For a full list, please see SugarScience.org's "Hidden in Plain Sight" page.18 When you're trying to avoid sugar, you need to avoid any and all of these, as they all have similar effects, although processed fructose — such as high fructose corn syrup — tends to have the most adverse health effects and is a primary driver of obesity and diabetes.19 >>>>> Click Here <<<<< How to Break Your Sugar AddictionIf you find yourself struggling with sugar cravings, intermittent fasting can help. For optimal results, you'll want to replace the calories from sugar and non-vegetable carbs with vegetables and healthy fats, as this will help reset your body's metabolism, allowing it to effectively burn fat for fuel again. When sugar is not needed for your primary fuel and when your sugar stores run low, your body will crave it less. Another helpful technique, which addresses the emotional component of food cravings, is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). If you maintain negative thoughts and feelings about yourself while trying to take physical steps to improve your health and body, you're unlikely to succeed. While traditional psychological approaches may sometimes work, EFT has shown to be a far better, not to mention inexpensive, solution. If you feel that your emotions, or your own self-image, may be your own worst enemy when it comes to altering your relationship with food, I highly recommend you read my free EFT manual and consider trying EFT on your own. A version of EFT specifically geared toward combating sugar cravings is called Turbo Tapping. For further instructions, please see The Epoch Times article, "Turbo Tapping: How to Get Rid of Your Soda Addiction."20 My previous article, "EFT: Tapping for Weight Loss" also offers helpful guidance. To get an idea of how it works, see the video below, in which EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to use EFT to fight food cravings of all kinds. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/30/sugar-brain-chemistry.aspx Data from the CDC1 in 2017 show heart disease causes one death every 37 seconds in America and that it is the leading cause of death in the U.S. It created a financial burden of $219 billion in 2014 and 2015. Every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack. Those at higher risk are smokers and those who have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and/or diabetes.2 Since researchers believed cholesterol levels contribute greatly to heart disease, pharmaceutical companies focused on developing a drug that might be marketed to millions when they first began searching for a “cure” to what is known as “hardening of the arteries.” After a historical journey beginning in the mid-20th century,3 the first statin drug was released in 1987 — lovastatin. The way statin drugs work is by preventing a certain enzyme from carrying out its function in the body. This was first tested with fungi broths and then later in animals, and in both cases it lowered plasma cholesterol. Millions of people now take statins on the advice of their physicians with the hope of extending their life and reducing their risk of heart disease. One Johns Hopkins cardiologist explains a dangerous evolution of statin use:4
As mainstream medicine continues to prescribe statin medications to a growing number of patients whether they currently have cholesterol levels deemed higher than normal or not, others are warning this trend is likely placing more people at risk than it is helping. As I have reported, a 2015 review of statin trials found that in primary prevention trials, the median postponement of death in those taking statins was just 3.2 days. In exchange for an additional 3.2 days, those taking statins may experience heart damage and have an increased risk of dementia.5,6 Do You Experience Statin Brain?Dr. Beatrice Golomb is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, whose recent research has focused on statin use. In her answer to a question by a Scientific American reader, she writes about how statins affect your neurological system and, more specifically, your brain:7
By 2016, the recommendations for statins widened when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published new guidelines in which they indicated statins should be started in people between the ages of 40 and 758 who have at least one risk factor for heart disease. This recommendation resulted in 35 million who are currently prescribed statin medications.9 Golomb has found the drugs produce different effects based on a person’s medical history, the drug they are taking and the dose.10 She’s found that while adverse drug reactions have been reported with statin use, there are not a lot of published studies having to do with mood and behavioral changes related to statin use. In 12 case studies, Golomb found changes that started after statin use was begun and persisted or progressed as the drug was continued. Reports of violent ideation, suicide, irritability and depression were resolved when the drug was discontinued. A sample of the reports include:
Other reported symptoms included suicide attempts, cognitive compromise, nightmares and anxiety. Golomb first suspected a connection between statins and mental health changes nearly 20 years ago. She found more evidence in the literature than she anticipated. She then conducted a study in Sweden, comparing the cholesterol levels of 250,000 to local crime records and commented to the BBC:11
Science Ignoring Impact of Drugs on Personality ChangeWhile physiological changes are testable, psychological and personality changes are less objectively measured. Results from one survey12 in 2016 demonstrated that despite media attention to normalize mental health issues, 12 million adults in the U.K. with mental health issues did not seek help, mainly because they were embarrassed. There is evidence to support that those with naturally low cholesterol may experience greater aggression and anger. In a study13 of 4,852 children ages 6 to 16, researchers found that those whose cholesterol was less than 145 mg/dL were three times more likely to be suspended from school than those whose levels were higher. The researcher speculated the stress from being suspended may have reduced cholesterol concentrations. However, other studies demonstrate that stress increases, rather than reduces, cholesterol levels.14 Lowering cholesterol levels appears to affect serotonin levels in the brain as demonstrated in animal studies involving fruit flies15 and fish.16 In the fish study, as cholesterol levels reduced, levels of serotonin altered, and the fish became more aggressive. Golomb is convinced lowering cholesterol levels by using statins influences the way your brain functions. However, she is more concerned about the lack of interest in the science community of the impact that seemingly ordinary drugs have on personality and aggression. One pain researcher from Ohio University also noticed this issue:17
The BBC reports the U.S. purchases 49,000 metric tonnes (54,013 tons) of paracetamol (acetaminophen) every year, enough for each person to take 298 tablets in a year. At the same time, Americans are spending an average of $1,200 per person on prescription drugs. As people get older, the dependence on drugs may get even worse. Statins Increase Your Risk of Health ProblemsOne of the side effects of statin medications is that they deplete your body of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This might explain some of the devastating, long-term results experienced by those taking the medication. As early as 2002 it was strongly suggested18 that the FDA should issue a black box warning to advise patients and physicians of the depletion of CoQ10, but in 2014 the FDA decided against it.19 CoQ10 is important because it can help manage heart failure.20 When taking statins, you may find yourself dealing with a reduction in vitamin K221 and, by extension, a higher risk of osteoporosis,22 brain disease23 and inappropriate calcification throughout the body.24 The use of statins also comes with an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases,25 cataracts26 and musculoskeletal disorders.27 While the FDA reports liver complications are rare, one physician’s search28 of the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) found 5,405 people who reported hepatitis or liver function abnormalities that were associated with only two different statin medications between 2006 and 2013. Researchers also found that those taking statins have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.29 In one published study,30 22 professional athletes with familial hypercholesterolemia were followed for eight years and treated with different statins. Of the 22, only six tolerated at least one drug. In only three of the six could training performance continue without limitation. Rising Number of Seniors Taking Too Many PrescriptionsIn the U.K. more than 10% of the general population over age 65 takes at least eight prescribed medications every week.31 The New York Times32 reports the average person in their mid- to late 60s in the U.S. takes 15 prescription drugs each year, which doesn't consider the number of over-the-counter products they might also be taking. The use of multiple prescription drugs is called polypharmacy, which is common among the elderly and especially those in nursing homes. Polypharmacy may increase hospitalizations with a high number of complications, increased rates of death and excessive health care costs.33 One of the hidden dangers of taking drugs with significant side effects, such as statins, is that one drug is often prescribed in order to take care of the side effects of another. Drug interactions can then cause hospitalization and sometimes the interactions may lead to death. Simple Strategies to Normalize Your Cholesterol LevelsConsider using simple strategies to normalize your cholesterol levels. I believe a total cholesterol measurement has little benefit in evaluating your risk for heart disease unless the number is over 300. In some instances, high cholesterol may indicate a problem, provided it's your LDL or triglycerides and you have low HDL. A better evaluation of your risk of heart disease are the following two ratios in combination with other lifestyle factors, such as your iron level and diet:
You have control over your health and may protect your heart and lower your risk of heart disease by following suggestions affecting your lifestyle and exposure to environmental toxins. In my article, “Cholesterol Managers Want to Double Statin Prescriptions,” I share a list of suggestions to help minimize your toxic exposure and improve your body's ability to maintain good heart health. Additionally, in my article “Nearly Half of American Adults Have Cardiovascular Disease,” I summarize additional strategies you may use to improve microcirculation in your heart. I also talk about mitochondrial function and insulin resistance, which are related to strong heart health. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/29/statin-devastating-effects-on-brain.aspx Antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually infect more than 2.8 million people in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 reports that more than 35,000 people die each year as a result. But, unlike other threats, this has a clear and well-known cause: the overuse of antibiotics. Infections triggered by antibiotic resistant bacteria are sometimes impossible to treat and may extend hospital admissions. When antibiotics lose their effectiveness against a particular bacterium it presents a significant and severe public health threat. Many medical procedures require the use of antibiotics, such as when you have organ transplants and joint replacements. The list of urgent and serious bacterial and fungi threats is growing, including those resistant to carbapenem, an antibiotic of last resort. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are notorious planet polluters. Waste products pollute groundwater, and the gas produced from thousands of confined animals in a small space overwhelms workers and neighbors. In 2017 the World Health Organization2 called for the elimination of antibiotic use in healthy animals; in that same year the FDA introduced a rule that restricted the sale of antibiotics, requiring a visit to the vet rather than the shelves of a local feed supply store to obtain them.3 As noted in an October 2019 piece published by Modern Farmer, however,
South Dakota Seeks Short-Term Gains for a Long-Term ProblemThe inhumane and environmentally devastating CAFO model of agriculture is being rewarded in South Dakota as they seek to reap short-term gains while inviting long-term problems. In 2013 the state began a tax rebate program designed to attract business development. The goal was to entice new industries, thus creating more jobs and raising tax revenues. In the spring of 2019, the state began offering financial incentives to counties in which new CAFOs were built. Joe Fiala, community development director for the Governor's Office of Economic Development, called livestock operations “one of the few rays of sunshine in the ag economy.”4 Answering concerns about the new rule, he told the Aberdeen News:
Kathy Tyler (HR-D 2013-2014) adamantly opposes the financial incentives to counties in exchange for new CAFOs. She said the tax rebate comes from the developer, which is then given to the state and passed to the county, which boils down to a developer paying the county to approve a project:
At the end of 2019 there were four projects submitted for approval, including a soybean processing plant, two pig barns and a dairy operation. One of the proposed sow barns promised to produce 145,000 piglets every year, along with 19 full-time positions for workers and a $1.27 million annual payroll. During a public meeting with the county commissioners, concerns were raised over the location, manure management and water use. Before the vote when the CAFO was eventually approved, Commissioner James Wangsness spoke to Aberdeen News. Without mentioning the anticipated environmental impact and damage to neighboring properties, he said:
Farmers Stop Public Health Officials From Doing Their JobThe owners of hog farms headed to South Dakota may have the same objections to inspections on their premises as the farmers in Montana, whose operations were potentially identified by Dr. Scott Lindquist as the origin of an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella.5 Lindquist serves as an epidemiologist for the Washington State Department of Health. In an interview with Leslie Stahl of CBS News, Lindquist recounted what happened after an outbreak in which an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people became ill. He traced the source to a slaughterhouse where bacteria were cultured. Unable to determine whether the slaughterhouse was the origin, he requested access to the farms that had sent livestock, so he could take samples. However, Lindquist received a letter from Liz Wagstrom of the National Pork Producers Council, the primary lobbying group for the industry, denying access. She said: "I know that you do not want any inadvertent negative consequences to farms as a result of this proposed on-farm sampling." In what appeared to be a comment expressing more concern about the consequences to farms than to consumers, Wagstrom held her ground and refused access. During her interview with Leslie Stahl, Wagstrom defended her position by saying five months had passed since the beginning of the outbreak. She asserted it would have been too late to determine if the salmonella DNA on the farm and at the slaughterhouse were identical. Lindquist was seeking more information with the hope of reducing the number of people getting sick. He offered to maintain the confidentiality of the farms from which the samples were taken. When pressed, Wagstrom raised a concern about biosecurity, saying anyone entering the farms needs to shower and shampoo so they don't carry disease to the livestock. Even an offer of submitting to those disinfecting guidelines did not sway Wagstrom. CAFO Farmers Operate Their Businesses From BoardroomsLance Price, microbiologist at George Washington University, also expressed concerns that federal inspectors were not allowed to take samples without the farmers’ permission, making it nearly impossible to trace where tainted products may have originated. Ultimately, the concern is that antibiotic resistant bacteria are being spread through tainted meat for which physicians do not have effective antibiotics. Although the pathogens can be killed during cooking, opening tainted meat in the house can release the bacteria into the kitchen, increasing the risk of illness. CAFOs began using antibiotics to fight disease in crowded conditions but soon found they also helped the livestock to grow faster while eating less food. Price shared that, currently, most hogs are raised on industrial farms, with some of them owned by foreign companies. He says that some multinational companies are hiding behind the portrait of the small American farmer, an image that generates sentiments of protection in most of the U.S. However, Price points out it's not the guy in overalls who owns these CAFOs, but rather
When Wagstrom was asked about the use of preventive antibiotics and overcrowding she said, “That would be an improper stocking density.” Yet, as Stahl points out, farmers are denying oversight, so there is no way to be sure. Sidestepping another issue, Stahl asked if Wagstrom would support a regulation mandating that farmers report the amount of antibiotics used on livestock. She replied, “I would support discussion around trying to figure out how to collect that data.” Dancing to the Tune of Big AgriculturePrice also expressed concern over a new regulation the pork industry lobbied to enact that lifted a number of important oversight requirements. The USDA claims they are modernizing the process, yet Price says, “I don't see modernization. I see just straight-up deregulation in an industry that you want regulated.” The new regulation allows the slaughterhouse and companies to set the speed at which the carcasses are processed. Prior to this change, the limit was 20 per minute; the new regulation lifts all limits. In the old system inspectors examined each carcass. However, the number of inspectors is also reduced by 40%, with processing inspections taken over by plant employees who may or may not be trained to do so. CAFO farms are the subject of a book called “Pig Tales,” written by The New York Times best-selling author Barry Estabrook, who set out to explore and write about the pork industry. He discovered that Big Ag wields enormous power in states like North Carolina, home to many CAFOs. He describes that power:6
CAFO Farms Create Disease Carriers and Are DeadlyThe use of antibiotics in livestock is regulated by the FDA. Before 2013, CAFOs had the option of using antibiotics for weight gain. Currently, the FDA guidelines ask pharmaceutical companies to:7
The use of antibiotics for disease prevention in large, overcrowded environments is still allowed under the FDA’s guidelines. In 2015, Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bacteria was found on a U.S. pig farm.8 Carbapenem is one of the antibiotics of last resort.9 The finding is surprising as it's illegal to use this antibiotic, crucial to human medicine, in food-producing animals.10 The addition of antibiotics to livestock feed increases the risk of antibiotic resistant bacterial growth. Organisms responsible for infectious diseases in humans, such as cryptosporidium, E. coli and salmonella, are common in livestock manure.11 They are a normal part of livestock gut microbiome and can grow in high concentrations. In some instances, they are beneficial to digestion in livestock. The bacteria are excreted in the manure and oftentimes that manure is sprayed onto fields as fertilizer. The excess can leach into the groundwater and waterways, which concerned wildlife services for waterfowl protection in South Dakota. Fumes from the manure pits are so toxic that it caused the death of a father and son at an Iowa pig farm when they were trying to repair a pump.12 They were the second father and son to die in the Midwest in July 2015, overcome by noxious gas from manure pits. Given that these fumes are regularly pumped outdoors, it's not surprising that people living near Iowa CAFOs have elevated rates of respiratory symptoms compared to those who live elsewhere.13 Sustainable Farms Reduce Risks to the Land and PeopleRegenerative farming practices produce healthy soil and great success for the farmers who practice it; Will Harris is one such farmer. He is from White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, and runs a successful farm that produces high-quality grass fed products. His focus changed from figuring out how many heads of cattle he could feed to building a process that feeds microbes in the soil, which in turn helps crops yield more every year. Working with natural cycles, he and other regenerative farmers have improved productivity and carbon sequestration. There are several organizations that may help you source farm-fresh food in your local area. For a list of those and a discussion of regenerative farming practices, see, “How Regenerative Farming Methods Can Restore Ecology and Rebuild Communities.” from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/29/cafos-direct-food-supply-refuse-inspection.aspx Sepsis is a life-threatening condition triggered by a systemic infection that causes your body to overreact and launch an excessive and highly damaging immune response. Unless promptly diagnosed and treated, it can rapidly progress to multiple-organ failure and death. A number of studies have shown sepsis is becoming ever more prevalent, making it imperative to be on the lookout for its signs and symptoms whenever you're ill or in the hospital. This includes cases of suspected influenza, as sepsis can mimic many of the signs and symptoms of the flu. In fact, sepsis is one of the leading causes for influenza deaths. Studies have also identified sepsis as a top cause of death in hospitals, and one of the primary causes of serious harm due to misdiagnosis. Findings show that:
Sepsis Responsible for One-Fifth of Global DeathsNow, the most comprehensive global analysis7,8 done to date warns that sepsis is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths worldwide each year. The researchers call the finding "alarming," as their updated figures are double that of previous estimates. As reported by NPR:9
An estimated 85% of these sepsis-related deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries.10 Surprisingly, the paper,11 "A Global Accounting of Sepsis," published in the January 18, 2020, issue of The Lancet, suggests the rate of sepsis has actually declined by about half since 1990. NPR reports:12
The authors of The Lancet study do point out that their findings "must be viewed in context with the constraints of the analysis," as "modelling assumptions and imputation steps can introduce bias." They explain:13
A significant hurdle when studying sepsis is the fact that many doctors overlook it as a contributing cause of death, and don't list it on the death certificate. Rhee, who has investigated the sepsis burden in the U.S., tells NPR that — based on his own findings of U.S. death certificates — sepsis may actually play a role in more than 20% of deaths worldwide,14 considering most sepsis deaths occur in countries lacking the medical care available in more affluent nations. Signs and Symptoms of SepsisDespite its prevalence, sepsis is frequently overlooked, even by health care professionals. For this reason, it's really important to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of sepsis, and to take immediate action if you suspect sepsis. Also inform the medical staff of your suspicion, as time is of the essence when it comes to treatment. Hydration is of utmost importance, as much of the damage caused by sepsis begins with the loss of fluids. While the signs can be subtle at first, sepsis typically produces the following signs and symptoms:15,16,17 Many of these symptoms may be confused with a bad cold or the flu. However, they tend to develop quicker than you would normally expect.
Acronyms to MemorizeThe Sepsis Alliance recommends using the acronym TIME to remember some of the more common symptoms:18
Another acronym you could use to memorize the signs and symptoms is SEPSIS, described in the video above:
Beware: Sepsis Plays a Role in Many Influenza DeathsImportantly, sepsis has been identified as a major contributor in influenza deaths. According to researchers, "Severe sepsis is traditionally associated with bacterial diseases … However, viruses are becoming a growing cause of severe sepsis worldwide." As noted in the video above, some sepsis symptoms also resemble those of influenza, which can have tragic consequences if you do not seek medical help in time. The video offers guidelines on how to tell the difference between the two. Sepsis, without doubt, requires immediate medical attention, whereas most people will successfully recover from flu with a few days to a week of bedrest and fluids. Just how influenza can lead to sepsis is a somewhat complex affair, described as follows:19
Remember to Ask for This Life-Saving Sepsis ProtocolIf you or a loved one succumbs to sepsis, whether caused by influenza or some other infection, please remember that a protocol of IV vitamin C with hydrocortisone and thiamine (vitamin B1) can be lifesaving,20 so urge your doctor to use it. Chances are, they might not even be aware of it. This sepsis treatment protocol was developed Dr. Paul Marik, a critical care doctor at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in East Virginia, and clinical use has proven it to be remarkably effective for the treatment of sepsis, reducing mortality nearly fivefold. Marik's retrospective before-after clinical study21,22 showed that giving patients IV vitamin C with hydrocortisone and vitamin B1 for two days reduced mortality from 40% to 8.5%. Of the 50 patients treated, only four died, and all of them died from their underlying disease, not sepsis. The precise protocol used was 200 mg of thiamine every 12 hours, 1,500 mg of ascorbic acid every six hours, and 50 mg of hydrocortisone every six hours.23 Importantly, the treatment has no side effects and is inexpensive, readily available and simple to administer, so you really have nothing to lose by trying it. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where Marik works, has made the protocol its standard of care for sepsis, and other hospitals are also starting to follow suit. Unfortunately, many are still dragging their heels, waiting for the completion of additional clinical trials. According to Marik, vitamin C and corticosteroids have a synergistic effect,24 which is part of why his combo protocol is so effective. Still, simply using high-dose IV vitamin C exclusively has been shown to improve survival in patients with sepsis and acute respiratory failure, reducing mortality from 46% to 30%.25 It also reduced the number of days they needed to remain hospitalized. On average, those who received vitamin C had by day 28 spent three fewer days in the intensive care unit than the placebo group (seven days compared to 10). By day 60, the treatment group had also spent seven fewer days in the hospital overall —15 days compared to 22.26 While there are no trials that look at integrating hyperbaric oxygen therapy, my strong suspicion is that this would be a powerful synergy that could get the fatality rate from the problem far closer to zero. Sadly, this treatment is not available at many hospitals, and even if it were, it is not approved for this indication. Educational Resources for Your DoctorMarik's sepsis protocol can be a lifesaver, so you'd be wise to discuss it with your doctor any time you're hospitalized. Remember, sepsis is often the result of a secondary infection contracted while in the hospital, so it's prudent to be prepared. This way, should you develop sepsis while you're admitted, your medical team already knows your wishes and can act swiftly. According to Marik, the best results are obtained when the concoction is administered within the first six hours of presentation of symptoms.27 The longer you delay treatment, the less likely it will be successful. You can learn more about Marik's sepsis protocol in "Vitamin C — A Game Changer in Treatment of Deadly Sepsis," along with commonsense recommendations for how to lower your risk of sepsis in the first place. You can also review Marik's PowerPoint presentation, "Hydrocortisone, Ascorbic Acid and Thiamine for the Treatment of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock," presented at the 2020 Critical Care Reviews meeting in Australia. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< If your doctor refuses to consider it offhand, convince him or her to review the studies cited here.28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37 Simply look up the references 27 through 36 and make copies to take to your doctor. Alternatively, you can go to PubMed38 directly and type in "vitamin C" and "sepsis" in the search engine and you will get a list of the available research. While there are certain situations in which the hospital may still deny this treatment, if you are an adult who is sick, you will usually have the right to insist on it. I will actually be interviewing Marik shortly and hope to work with him on developing a process to make it easier for patients to implement this strategy in their local hospital. In most cases, you'd probably just need to sign an "Against Medical Advice — Acknowledgment and Waiver" form (samples of which can be found in the references39), which states you've elected to not follow the standard of care recommended by your doctor. Contraindication for IV Vitamin C TreatmentThe only contraindication is if you are glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient (a genetic disorder).40 G6PD is required for your body to produce NADPH, which is a cousin of NAD+ and necessary to transfer reductive potential to keep your antioxidants, like glutathione and vitamin C, functional. Because your red blood cells do not contain any mitochondria, the only way it can provide reduced glutathione is through NADPH, and since G6PD eliminates this, it causes red blood cells to rupture due to inability to compensate for oxidative stress. Fortunately, G6PC deficiency is relatively uncommon, and can be tested for. People of Mediterranean and African decent are at greater risk of being G6PC deficient. Worldwide, G6PD deficiency is thought to affect 400 million individuals, and in the U.S., an estimated 1 in 10 African-American males have it.41 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/29/sepsis-death-rate.aspx Everywhere we look, we find signs of out-of-control Big Pharma influence on medical policies and public health laws. This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering drug ads account for the vast majority of most media outlets' advertising revenues. As a result, the media are no longer providing us with fair and balanced reporting on the prevention and treatment of disease, and this certainly includes the subject of drugs and vaccines. As reported by Periscope News Group editor-in-chief, Christina Morales:1
Drug Industry Is the Hidden Hand Behind Vaccine LawsDuring the 2019 U.S. legislative session, 22 bills were introduced in 17 states proposing to eliminate vaccine exemptions.2 One of them was New Jersey bill S2171, which tried to repeal the religious vaccine exemption and require students of all ages to be fully vaccinated or lose their right to a school education. December 12, 2019, a hearing on the bill was held by the New Jersey Senate Health Committee, which voted in favor (6 to 4) of sending it to the floor.3 However, while the bill was widely expected to breeze through the Senate, it came to a screeching halt due to the massive uprising of concerned citizens who publicly protested against it. As reported by The New York Times January 13, 2020:4
Vaccine Science Is Far From SettledIs the science on vaccine safety really settled? Far from it. There's a broad base of scientific studies questioning both the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. The growing number of people filing vaccine-injury claims with the national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) also speaks to the fact that there's a problem, as does the scientific evidence showing industry-funded vaccine studies are riddled with bias.5,6 What's more, the more we learn about infectious diseases and how vaccines work, the more we realize just how little we actually know, and how many of our assumptions are seriously flawed.7 One of the primary reasons we're not getting objective reporting on these issues from the media is, again, because most news organizations make the bulk of their money from the drug industry (i.e., drug ads). They simply cannot afford to bite the hand that feeds them, and so they become complicit in the cover-up by default. New Jersey Bill S2171 Is DefeatedIn its original form, S2171 eliminated the religious vaccine exemption for children attending daycare and schools in New Jersey, established a state-run review board to approve all medical exemptions, and required students of all ages enrolled in daycare, primary school and higher education, both public and private, including higher education online classes, to be fully vaccinated. As reported by Children's Health Defense legal counsel, Mary Holland,8 "under the terms of the law, a 60-year old taking a cooking class at a community college could be required to prove vaccination status before enrollment. This could include even online courses at any institution of higher education in New Jersey." As such, it was the broadest vaccine exemption elimination bill introduced so far, which is why its defeat on January 13, 2020, was such a major victory. Make no mistake, it was the participation of thousands of people who showed up for the hearings at the state capitol that allowed for this victory.9 Without that overwhelming pressure, there's no doubt in my mind the bill would have passed. In an effort to push the legislation through, amendments were made so that the religious vaccine exemption would be available in private schools but not public schools. However, as reported by The New York Times,10 this only raised new concerns. Many argued the amendment gave wealthy families the ability to exempt their children attending expensive private schools, while denying the same right to children whose parents cannot afford to pay for private school. As reported by News24 in the video above, New Jersey Senate president Stephen Sweeney — who remains adamant the bill eventually will become law - effectively "bought" votes to try to pass S2171 by offering Senators who were planning to vote "no" on the bill financial support in future elections through the General Majority super PAC funds in exchange for their "yes" vote. News24 also highlights Sweeney's deep connections to the drug industry, which appear to be part and parcel of why he's such a determined advocate for mandatory vaccinations and the removal of exemptions. Fortunately, not even these highly questionable last-ditch efforts were enough to pass the bill. Informed Consent Is the Bedrock of Medical EthicsA January 17, 2020, Health Impact News post11 reviews the scientifically referenced testimony submitted by Dr. Meryl Nass before the Massachusetts legislature, which is also considering legislation that will eliminate the religious vaccine exemption. In her testimony, Nass stated pointed out that:12
Nass goes on to cite statistics showing why the claim that draconian laws are required to control the "crisis" of vaccine-preventable diseases is false. She also points out that:
Doctors Are Selling Out to the Drug Industry TooMedia corporations and politicians aren't the only ones beholden to the drug industry. In 2013, ProPublica exposed how drug companies bribe hundreds of thousands of American doctors to prescribe expensive and often dangerous drugs.14 One way in which drug companies enlist medical professionals to push their wares is to offer them lucrative speaking engagements, in which they promote the company's drugs. While presented as "educational," these expert lectures are nothing but thinly veiled sales pitches. Despite rising concern over these kinds of conflicts of interest, ProPublica's latest Dollars for Doctors report reveals the trend has only grown and gotten worse over the years. In its October 2019 report, ProPublica writes:15
Vaccines Give a 'Healthy Boost' to Doctors' Bottom LineIn a 2015 Family Practice Management article,16,17,18 Dr. Jamie Loehr shared with other family physicians how giving every CDC recommended vaccine to all patients, regardless of age, can provide a "strong, healthy boost to the bottom line" of their medical practice. "Minimizing costs and maximizing reimbursement can make immunizations profitable," Loehr writes. He then goes on to explain where and how to get the needed vaccines for the lowest price, and how to properly code for the service in order to maximize insurance reimbursements. Ironically — considering the vast majority of doctors do not disclose the full range of potential side effects of a given vaccine — one of the biggest money-makers is the code for vaccine counseling for patients under 18, as combined vaccines such as the MMR and DTaP allow the doctor to bill for three and four counseling components respectively. For the MMR, they can bill for informing you about the risks and benefits of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines (i.e., three counseling components) and for the DTaP, they can bill for informing you about diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio (i.e., four counseling components). Some of the potential side effects actually listed on vaccine inserts and adverse events for which victims have received compensation from the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) are listed in my previous article, "How Much Do You Really Know About Vaccine Safety?" I suggest reading through those lists and comparing them to what your child's pediatrician or your doctor have told you about vaccine side effects. Many doctors are not providing parents with the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) required under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act to be given to parents before children are vaccinated, and rarely are more serious side effects mentioned before a vaccine is given. Parents can always ask doctors for a copy of the actual manufacturer vaccine product insert, which accompanies vials of vaccines shipped to doctors' offices, and is required by FDA regulations to list known and reported side effects. Conflicts of Interest Rule the RoostDoctors have a longstanding history of being revered as experts, whose morals and integrity are above reproach, and whose knowledge should not be questioned. This is why doctors were featured in cigarette ads in the 1930s and '40s,19 before the dangers of smoking became firmly established. It is also why doctors like Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Richard Pan are now pervasively featured in articles insisting that everyone should be legally required to purchase and use all vaccines recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and medical trade associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Medical Association (AMA). Offit, Hotez and Pan are hardly the only vaccine experts in the U.S., let alone the world, yet the views of these two are routinely brought forth as the voices of medical consensus on vaccine safety. This, despite the fact that Offit is a vaccine developer who has been caught making false statements20 and has significant conflicts of interest with the vaccine industry,21 including owning vaccine patents, and Pan, in his role as California Senator, has received significant amounts of money from corporations marketing vaccines. Between 2013 and 2014, Pan received more than $95,000 from drug companies and their trade groups.22 In February 2015, he introduced bill SB277,23,24 which repealed the Californian personal belief vaccine, which included religious and conscience or philosophical beliefs. Coincidence? Another vaccine developer and mandatory vaccination proponent with industry ties is Professor Peter Hotez.25,26 He also has financial ties The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,27 which is has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into global vaccination programs. Resistance Is Never FutileThe fact that New Jersey managed to thwart the latest attack on medical freedom is an encouraging sign. Never underestimate the power of the people! The key is numbers — you have to actually take action by contacting your legislators ahead of time to communicate your concerns about a bill you oppose (or support) and showing up at public hearings and on days when votes are taken in your state Capitol. Thousands of individuals gathered in hallways and outside the Capitol building in Trenton to protest of S2171 on multiple occasions, and it was undoubtedly the sheer size of the opposition that greatly helped to defeat the bill. The fight is not over though. Senator Weinberg has promised to reintroduce the bill in some altered form, and hopefully, residents will rise to the occasion yet again when it does. Stay up to date on vaccine-related bills that are moving in your state this year, including bills proposing to take away (or expand) your right to obtain a vaccine exemption for yourself or your child. Register to become a user of the free online NVIC Advocacy Portal operated by the National Vaccine Information Center and access bill analyses and talking points to educate your legislators. Maine Could Become the First State to Overturn Bad Vaccine LawIn related news, Maine is fighting to repeal a new vaccine law that eliminated non-medical vaccine exemptions in 2019 and urgently needs your support. The veto referendum to overturn the bill (LD798) which was enacted into law in 2019 will be on a March 3, 2020 ballot. The new law revokes religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions and prevents access to work and education for those who have not received every state mandated vaccine.28 Maine is the first state to put government vaccine mandates and repeal of exemptions to a popular vote through a veto referendum included on a ballot. To succeed and set the precedent for other states to follow, they need your support now. Smaller states are easier to win because there are fewer people to educate on the issue at hand, which means less money is required for advertising. Maine has an advertising saturation point of about $3 million, meaning if you spend $3 million, you will reach a majority of residents and further advertising will not make a significant difference. The "Yes on 1 Reject Big Pharma" campaign needs to raise at least $1 million within the next 30 days to stand a chance against the pharmaceutical industry's deep pockets. You can make a difference by making a donation to this campaign below (and, if you are a registered voter in Maine, by making sure to cast a vote on Mar. 3, 2020 to restore vaccine exemptions in the state). from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/28/new-jersey-vaccine-bill.aspx Application of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, is unprecedented in scale, and we haven’t even reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding its far-reaching environmental and human health effects. Since genetically engineered (GE) “Roundup Ready” crops, which are tolerant of glyphosate, were introduced, global usage of glyphosate rose nearly fifteenfold.1 Usage is so pervasive that researchers have stated, “no pesticide has come remotely close to such intensive and widespread use” in the U.S., and this is likely the case globally as well.2 Cancer has emerged as one of the leading health risks of glyphosate, and approximately 42,700 U.S. lawsuits from individuals alleging that glyphosate caused them to develop cancer have already been filed.3 However, other chronic diseases have also been linked to the chemical, including kidney disease. In January 2020, research published in Environmental Pollution identified glyphosate in the urine of 11.1% of the infants and young children they tested, and this rose to 30% among newborns.4 Despite the detectable levels of glyphosate, the study did not find an association between low-level glyphosate exposure and markers of kidney injury, but the researchers noted the study was limited by a small sample size and, “The lack of evident renal toxicity in association with glyphosate exposure in young children does not exclude a potential adverse impact of longer term exposure to the pesticide.”5 The researchers further noted, “Further studies of larger sample size are indicated to better understand putative deleterious effects of the herbicide after different levels of exposure.”6 Glyphosate’s Link to Kidney DamageSignificant bioaccumulation of glyphosate has been documented in the kidney, an organ with known susceptibility to glyphosate. Glyphosate-induced kidney toxicity has been associated with disturbances in the expression of genes associated with fibrosis, necrosis and mitochondrial membrane dysfunction.7 Further, as noted by the Environmental Pollution study researchers, “Previous studies have associated glyphosate exposure with changes in renal function, kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. There is growing evidence linking glyphosate exposure with the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin in farmworkers in Central America, Sri Lanka and central India.”8 Dr. Sarath Gunatilake, professor of health science at the University of California and Channa Jayasumana, Ph.D., a faculty member of Medicine and Allied Sciences at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, have published papers linking glyphosate exposure to chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lankan farmers.9 In 2014, they hypothesized that consumption of glyphosate-contaminated water may contribute to chronic kidney disease by facilitating the transport of heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium into the kidneys.10 Sri Lankan Agricultural Nephropathy (SAN), a form of chronic kidney disease among paddy farmers that was first reported in 1994, has become the most debilitating public health issue in parts of Sri Lanka. Glyphosate May Be a Primary Cause of Kidney DiseaseIn 2015, Gunatilake and colleagues noted that people living in areas with endemic SAN are exposed to multiple heavy metals and glyphosate, adding further support that the condition is toxicological in origin:11
In another 2015 study published by the team, it was found that people who drank water from wells where glyphosate and heavy metal concentrations are higher had a fivefold increased risk of CKDu.12 In 2019, researchers again named agricultural chemicals, including glyphosate and paraquat, as possible primary factors in CKDu, noting:13
Controversy Over Scientific Freedom and Responsibility AwardGunatilake and Jayasumana’s research linking glyphosate to chronic kidney disease was so significant that they received notable recognition from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest scientific society and publisher of several journals, including Science. Since 1980, AAAS has presented an annual award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility to "scientists, engineers or their organizations, whose exemplary actions have demonstrated scientific freedom and responsibility in challenging circumstances." As noted by AAAS, “Some awardees have risked their freedom and even physical safety by their actions, while others have been honored for their advocacy and their leadership."14 In 2019, AAAS was slated to present the Scientific Freedom and Responsibility to Gunatilake and Jayasumana, who certainly faced their share of adversity in speaking out against glyphosate. An AAAS press release even noted that the researchers "faced death threats and claims of research misconduct while working to determine the cause of a kidney disease epidemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in their home country of Sri Lanka and around the world. Ultimately, their advocacy led to the culprit, an herbicide called glyphosate, being banned in several affected countries."15 Jessica Wyndham, director of the AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program, further noted, "To right a wrong when significant financial interests are at stake and the power imbalance between industry and individual is at play takes the unique combination of scientific rigor, professional persistence and acceptance of personal risk demonstrated by the two scientists recognized by this year's award."16 The award announcement was met with significant backlash from industry, however, leading AAAS to backtrack and retract the award, stating they agree to "taking steps to reassess the 2019 Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, after concerns were voiced by scientists and members. This award will not be presented … as originally planned while we further evaluate the award selection."17 Science Prevails, Glyphosate Scientists Awarded After AllAfter implementing a lengthy peer review to evaluate the 2019 award, AAAS decided their original decision was the right one after all and have now formally listed Gunatilake and Jayasumaa as the recipients of the 2019 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility award, noting the scientists “investigated a possible connection between glyphosate and chronic kidney disease under challenging circumstances.”18 The wording is notably different, however, from AAAS’ original description,19 which has since been taken down but once referred to the researchers as “public health researchers who battled powerful corporate interests to uncover the deadly effects of industrial herbicides.”20 Jayasumana had suspected that industry had negatively influenced the AAAS initially, but with their research vindicated, he told Monga Bay, “Science has prevailed. That’s why, after certain groups opposed our selection and undermined our professional work, the research work has been upheld as credible.”21 Glyphosate’s Link to Chronic DiseaseGunatilake and Jayasumaa are not alone in their findings that glyphosate is capable of causing chronic disease. A number of animal studies have linked glyphosate to liver damage, for instance, including one that dates back to 1979, which showed the chemical could disrupt mitochondria in rat livers. While the actual study is behind a paywall — meaning you have to pay to read it it — it is referenced and duplicated in a 2015 study that affirmed that chronic exposure to the chemical “can result in liver and kidney damage.”22,23 Glyphosate is also known to trigger the production of reactive oxygen species, leading to oxidative stress. As noted in Scientific Reports, “Elevation in oxidative stress markers is detected in rat liver and kidney after subchronic exposure to GBH [glyphosate-based herbicides] at the United States permitted glyphosate concentration of 700 μg/L in drinking water.”24,25 Researchers from King’s College London also showed an “ultra-low dose” of glyphosate-based herbicides was damaging.26 Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has also been studying glyphosate for years and determined that the increase in glyphosate usage in the U.S., as well as in Canada, is extremely well correlated with the concurrent increase in the incidence of multiple diseases, including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer and myeloid leukemia.27 Research scientist Anthony Samsel is one of Seneff’s co-authors, and together they’ve suggested that one of the ways glyphosate is harmful is via disruption of glycine homeostasis. Glyphosate has a glycine molecule as part of its structure (hence the “gly” in glyphosate). Glycine is a very common amino acid your body uses to make proteins. Samsel and Seneff believe your body can substitute glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) into peptides and proteins, which results in damaged peptides and proteins being produced. Glycine also plays a role in quenching inflammation, as explained in “Glycine Quells Oxidative Damage by Inhibiting NOX Superoxide Production and Boosting NADPH,” and is used up in the detoxification process. As a result of glyphosate toxicity, many of us may not have enough glycine for efficient detoxification. How to Detox GlyphosateGlyphosate residues are found in many foods, including genetically engineered crops and non-GE grains, such as oats. One of the best ways to avoid exposure is to eat organic or biodynamically grown food, and invest in a good water filtration system for your home to lower exposure that may occur via drinking water. You’ll also want to avoid using glyphosate-based products around your home, garden or workplace. If you’re interested, the Health Research Institute (HRI) in Iowa developed the glyphosate urine test kit, which will allow you to determine your own exposure to this toxic herbicide. They’re also in the process of doing hair testing for glyphosate, which is a better test for long-term exposure. If it turns out that you have measurable levels of glyphosate in your body, Seneff recommends consuming organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, as it contains acetobacter, which can break down glyphosate. She also suggests eating garlic and cruciferous vegetables, which are good sources of sulfur. Glycine supplementation may also be a good option to help detoxify glyphosate, as to eliminate glyphosate, you need to saturate your body with glycine. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, who is a specialist in metal toxicity and its connection to chronic infections, recommends taking 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of glycine powder twice a day for a few weeks and then lower the dose to one-fourth teaspoon (1 gram) twice a day. This forces the glyphosate out of your system, allowing it to be eliminated through your urine. I personally have been taking 1 gram twice a day for some time now. Glycine is inexpensive and tastes sweet. Ideally it is best to take it around the time you are eating food that might be contaminated with glyphosate, of which, unfortunately, there are many. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/28/glyphosate-primary-cause-of-kidney-damage.aspx A whistleblower lawsuit has been filed against drugmaker Roche, alleging the company made false claims and misrepresented studies, causing the U.S. government to stockpile $1.5 billion of its influenza medicine Tamiflu (oseltamivir).1 The lawsuit was filed by Dr. Thomas Jefferson, a researcher associated with the Cochrane Collaboration research network, under the False Claims Act, in which individuals may file suit on behalf of the government. Jefferson has been questioning Tamiflu’s effectiveness since 2009. The lawsuit, which was unsealed in September 2019, alleges Roche duped the U.S. government into stockpiling Tamiflu while mispresenting its effectiveness. According to the Houston-based Lanier Law Firm, which filed the suit:
‘Multisystem Failure’ Involved in Tamiflu’s SuccessAntiviral drugs like Tamiflu are still recommended by government agencies like the U.S. CDC,3 despite long-standing studies questioning their effectiveness and safety. At one point, the World Health Organization (WHO) even classified Tamiflu as an "essential" medicine,4 "selected with due regard to public health relevance, evidence on efficacy and safety, and comparative cost-effectiveness" — but downgraded the drug’s status in 2017. In July 2017, WHO moved Tamiflu from a “core” essential medicine to a “complementary” drug, which is used for those that are less cost effective.5 (To clarify, a correction to the article was published in November 2017, saying the drug was still on the essential list, but “downgraded.”6) In a BMJ editorial, Mark Ebell, professor of epidemiology at the University of Georgia, called the move “far too late” and described a multisystem failure that allowed Tamiflu to become a blockbuster medication.7 According to Ebell:8
Examples of system-wide failures that let Tamiflu slip through regulatory cracks included a failure to publish all available evidence and make that data available at the individual patient level, along with a failure of recognizing the limitations inherent to observational data. It wasn’t until repeated requests from The BMJ were honored that data from unpublished trials were released to researchers, revealing the true extent of Tamiflu’s effectiveness — or lack thereof.9 Tamiflu Reduced Duration of Flu by Just 16.8 HoursIn the BMJ review of Tamiflu it’s found that Tamiflu shortened the duration of flu symptoms by less than a day, specifically, by just 16.8 hours, and did not affect the number of hospitalizations.10 In exchange for this very modest benefit, Tamiflu caused nausea and vomiting and increased the risk of headaches and renal and psychiatric syndromes. “The trade-off between benefits and harms should be borne in mind when making decisions to use oseltamivir for treatment, prophylaxis or stockpiling,” the researchers added.11 What’s more, in a Cochrane Review of the data on both Tamiflu and Relenza (zanamivir), another antiviral drug, Jefferson and colleagues noted:12
Further, the review noted that the drugmakers’ proposed mechanism of action, which suggests the drugs work via a multisystem and central action, does not fit with the clinical evidence they reviewed. Any beneficial effects of the drug may have occurred due to lowering levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines or via depressing the central nervous system, not by actually inhibiting the replication of the influenza virus.13 Tamiflu Causes Psychiatric SymptomsTamiflu and Relenza are part of a group of anti-influenza drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors, which work by blocking a viral enzyme that helps the influenza virus to invade cells in your respiratory tract. The problem is that your nervous system also contains neuraminidase enzymes essential for proper brain functioning, and when blocked with these dangerous drugs, severe neurotoxicity may ensue, especially in the infants and children whose blood-brain barrier has not yet developed sufficiently. Serious side effects include convulsions, delirium or delusions and suicidal behavior. In January 2020, an Oregon woman warned that her son experienced hallucinations while taking the drug, telling a news outlet, “He was saying that everything was going fast and that everything was in fast forward. He was hearing voices. He was seeing things. He was crying and grabbing his head and it was really scary.”14 The boy’s pediatrician said the hallucinations were due to Tamiflu, and Dr. James Shames, Jackson County medical health director, likewise stated, “Psychiatric symptoms are more unusual. It wasn’t even recognized until after the drug had been released and they started doing further studies. It does look like it occurs more commonly in children.”15 In another report, a 6-year-old girl in Texas also had hallucinations while taking Tamiflu and even tried to jump out of a second story window.16 A 16-year-old boy with no prior suicidal thoughts or depression also committed suicide less than 24 hours after taking the drug, which his parents believe is what caused the suicide to occur.17 Japan banned the use of Tamiflu in children and teens in 2007, after cases of teenagers trying to dump from apartment building windows while taking the drug. In 2018, the country lifted the ban, but still said the relationship between Tamiflu and the unusual actions is unclear and patients should be warned of such side effects.18 Corruption Surrounding TamifluCorruption has surrounded Tamiflu from the start. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was made the chairman of a company called Gilead in 1997. While drug company Roche manufactured Tamiflu, it was developed by Gilead decades ago, and they gave Roche the exclusive rights to market and sell the drug in 1996 (an agreement they attempted to terminate in 2005).19 Rumsfeld held major portions of stock in Gilead and was reported to have made more than $5 million from selling shares of the company around the time of the bird flu hoax in 2005. Rumsfeld was on the board of Gilead between 1988 and 2001, and when he left to join the Bush administration he reportedly retained a large shareholding (worth $25 million or more). Roche also engaged in extensive lobbying to influence countries to stockpile Tamiflu, including in Denmark. In a 2018 review published in the Journal of Public Health, researchers investigated how members of Denmark’s pandemic planning committee experienced lobbying efforts by Roche, noting:20
Lawsuit Alleges Roche Knew Tamiflu Was IneffectiveThe whistleblower lawsuit alleges that Roche knew Tamiflu was ineffective at fighting influenza pandemics but went ahead and “masterfully marketed this drug to fill Roche’s coffers at taxpayer expense,” Clayton Halunen of Halunen Law said. “This is precisely the type of corporate behavior the False Claims Act is designed to stop.”21 Because the False Claims Act mandates payment of triple damages along with civil penalties, Roche could face a judgment in excess of $4.5 billion. Attorney Mark Lanier, of Lanier Law Firm, added:22
While Roche is on trial for fraud, the fact remains that Tamiflu is likely to do little to help in the event you or a loved one comes down with flu, and it could end up causing harm. Prevention is a far better option, and along these lines vitamin D testing and optimization has been shown to cut your risk of respiratory infections, including colds and flu, in half if you are vitamin D deficient.23,24 In my view, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best respiratory illness prevention and optimal health strategies available. Influenza has also been treated with high-dose vitamin C,25 and taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of respiratory illness can also be helpful. Following other basic tenets of health, like eating right, getting sound sleep, exercising and addressing stress are also important, as is regularly washing your hands — sound advice for staying healthy not only during flu season but also year-round. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/01/28/tamiflu-fraud-stole-billions.aspx |
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