This article was previously published January 10, 2019, and has been updated with new information. History shows a wide range of uses for peppermint essential oil, which has been used as far back in time as ancient Rome and Egypt.1 Various cultures have used this oil not only for its minty fragrance, but for its therapeutic benefits as well. In addition, peppermint oil is known to symbolize hospitality.2 What Is Peppermint Oil?Peppermint oil is derived from the leaves of the peppermint plant (Mentha piperita), a hybrid of the water mint and spearmint plants, and M. arvensis var. piperascens, a plant from the Labiatae family.3 It is often used as a home remedy for stomach problems, muscle pain and headaches. Peppermint oil can also be utilized in capsules or supplements.4 9 Uses and Benefits of Peppermint OilPeppermint oil is used in aromatherapy, the practice of using essential oils to support health,5 where it is found to be effective in relieving pain and neuralgia,6 as well as nausea,7 and in improving memory and raising alertness.8 According to published research, peppermint oil exhibits antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, analgesic, radioprotective and anti-edema properties,9 and may be useful for:
Composition of Peppermint OilThe two major components of peppermint essential oil are menthol and menthone,33 which are why it's widely used as an ingredient in lozenges, toothpastes and rubs.34 Other constituents found in peppermint oil are menthyl acetate,35 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene.36 How to Make Infused Peppermint OilThere are several ways to make your own peppermint oil infusion at home. Here is one recipe from eHow.com you can try:37 Ingredients
Procedure
How Does Peppermint Oil Work?While it is tempting to buy products containing peppermint oil, using it in its whole state without additional ingredients may yield more positive results. However, it should never be utilized undiluted because it can cause irritation, especially to those with sensitive skin. It must be diluted in carrier oils like sweet almond, jojoba, coconut and olive, and used under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Peppermint oil is sensitive to heat, and should be stored in a cool place in tightly sealed bottles. Avoid using peppermint oil alongside other supplements and drugs, since it may trigger negative effects. For instance, peppermint oil can disrupt the rate at which your body processes cyclosporine, causing more of the medication to stay in your bloodstream.38 Peppermint oil is also known to interact with other drugs like felodipine (Plendil), simvastatin (Zocor), antacids, calcium channel blockers and blood pressure-lowering medicines.39 Is Peppermint Oil Safe?Peppermint oil is safe in low amounts in most adults, but it can trigger side effects in people with sensitivities. It is important for the following individuals to either avoid using this essential oil or to use it carefully only with the help of a health care professional:40,41
Side Effects of Peppermint OilTake utmost care when using peppermint oil or other related products, since you may experience the following side effects:49,50
If you are experiencing insomnia or other sleep disorders, avoid using peppermint oil because it can interfere with sleep.53 While it can offer profound benefits, I recommend speaking to a health care provider before using it for therapeutic applications. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/01/31/xdjm18-herbal-oils-18mcsa-peppermint-oil.aspx
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This story is about a hero doctor and a human being of great courage and integrity, Dr. Meryl Nass — who is an internist in Maine with proven expertise in hard-to-treat chronic illnesses as well as bioterrorism and epidemics. I recently had the privilege of conducting an extensive interview with the brave Dr. Nass. I am including the full transcript at the end of this article for those who like to read transcripts. By the way, when I initially published the interview, YouTube deleted the video in less than five minutes. Dr. Nass must be onto something! Dr. Nass' plight defending the sanctity of science and doctor-patient relationship is for all of us. May her victory over the attackers come quickly and be solid — and may it stand in the way of the Great Reset. Dr. Nass is under an attack for being outspoken and loyal to her medical calling. Recently, Dr. Nass' medical license was suspended by the state medical board in Maine for "spreading misinformation" and prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Not only that, she was also ordered to undergo a neuro-psychological evaluation, Soviet style. Who Is Dr. Nass?Dr. Nass is a doctor with a stellar reputation and a long career under her belt. Here is an excerpt of her bio from her pre-COVID testimony:
For more detail, you can check out Dr. Nass' full CV. What's the Alleged "Crime"?All complaints against Dr. Nass seem ideological in nature, and none of them came from her patients or their family members — but from internet strangers and establishment-minded medical workers. • Two of the complaints presented to Dr. Nass were from random people who saw her videos and said that she was "spreading misinformation." When Dr. Nass requested a clarification on what exactly constituted "misinformation" she was allegedly spreading — and what she was being asked to defend herself against — no clarification was provided. • Another complaint was about prescribing hydroxychloroquine to a vulnerable COVID patient and lying to the pharmacist about what disease it was for. Of course, the reason Dr. Nass was forced to lie to the pharmacist was to help the patient, since the pharmacists in Maine had been instructed to not dispense hydroxychloroquine for COVID — and so Dr. Nass chose not to betray her patient's interests and lie to the pharmacist instead. Any one of us would want a conscientious doctor like that! Not only was her lie a white one — she also notified the Board about it five minutes after she did it — telling them that the restrictions imposed on physicians were unacceptable. • Another complaint was about prescribing ivermectin to a patient who did not get much better from ivermectin and had to go to the hospital. The patient survived and had no complaints about Dr. Nass at all. At no point did Dr. Nass harm the patient or proclaim that ivermectin was a panacea. She is an honest doctor, and panaceas do not exist. She was just doing her best to treat the patient — and the patient, again, had no complaints about her. It's the apparatchiks who found issues with Dr. Nass' prescription. • Another complaint was about prescribing hydroxychloroquine to a pregnant patient. The medical worker who complained suggested that instead, monoclonal antibodies had to be prescribed. Said medical worker somehow didn't know that hydroxychloroquine was approved in pregnancy, while monoclonal antibodies were not. Dr. Nass Raised the Alarm About the Use of Near-Lethal Dosages of HCQ in Official StudiesIn June 2020, Dr. Nass wrote a seminal article in which she shared her findings on the use of potentially lethal dosages of hydroxychloroquine in both the WHO-sponsored "Solidarity" trial and the "Recovery" trial in the UK (and then also in the "Remap" study). Not only did she raise the alarm about it, she also wrote to Tedros and other officials — and three days after her letter, the WHO trial was stopped. Here is a great overview of what happened:
• Solidarity was being conducted by the World Health Organization, on 3500 Covid-19 patients at 400 hospitals, across 35 countries. The hydroxychloroquine arm of the trial was suspended May 25th following the fraudulent Surgisphere report in The Lancet that claimed 35% higher death rates in patients receiving Hydroxychloroquine. But when The Lancet retracted the report, the WHO resumed the Solidarity trial's hydroxychloroquine arm, on June 3rd. More than 100 countries expressed interest in participating in the trial. • Recovery is a similar experimental trial conducted in the UK, using very similar doses. It was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust (GlaxoSmithKline) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK government. The experiment was conducted at Oxford University, on 1,542 patients of these 396 patients (25.7%) died." Later, "Dr. Nass uncovered a third, "Even Worse" hydroxychloroquine experiment. REMAP targets patients who are on a ventilator, or in shock – i.e., near death. Such patients are hardly capable of giving consent. Rather than attempting to save their lives, they are being used given multiple high doses of hydroxychloroquine and other drugs whose combination is contraindicated." In the interview I conducted recently with Dr. Nass, she talks about how using these dosages could not have been a mistake. The only word that comes to my mind is "premeditated murder." Dr. Nass, on the other hand, is a hero who is loyal to the medical profession and not afraid to put herself on the line to save lives. And I suspect that had the bosses of the people waging an attack on Dr. Nass gotten really sick, they would be begging her to be their doctor — and not begging Dr. Fauci. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who wrote a best-selling book about Dr. Fauci, "The Real Anthony Fauci", also interviewed Dr. Nass on this topic which you can see in the video below. Exposing the Lab Origin of the PathogenAs early as in March of 2020, Dr. Nass proposed that the pathogen we know today as "SARS-CoV-2" was likely made in the lab. When the now notorious Nature study come out, "proving" the natural origin of the virus, Dr. Nass suggested that it was either ghost-written or heavily "guided" — and her theory was later strongly supported by Fauci emails. Here is also a recent post from Dr. Nass, titled, "Scientists Who Were Instrumental to COVID-19 'Natural Origins' Narrative Received Over $50 Million in NIAID Funding in 2020-2021/ Epoch Times":
Transcript Tessa Lena: Hello, and welcome to "Make Language Great Again." Today it is my tremendous honor to welcome Dr. Meryl Nass — who doesn't need much introduction — but just to say a few words, she is a prominent physician, and she's an expert on bioweapons, anthrax specifically. In 2001, Dr. Nass testified in Congress about anthrax, and she has had a stellar career. And for me personally, it would be an honor to interview Dr. Nass at any point, but the occasion is really strange. And I'm frankly rubbing my eyes still that this is happening. So what happened to Dr. Nass recently is that her medical license was suspended by the medical board, and she was ordered to undergo psychological evaluation, like, Soviet style, because she has been a good doctor. Let's just take it from there. Dr. Meryl Nass: So … Well, I'm a physician in internal medicine. I've been practicing medicine for 41 years, and I've been in Maine 24 years. And I basically have two tracks. One track is that I take care of patients who have chronic illnesses that are hard to diagnose and hard to treat, like chronic Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other … Gulf War Syndrome, other things that other doctors have not been able to manage successfully. And I changed my practice so that it mainly focused on treating COVID and giving people prescriptions for ivermectin, and vitamins and other things, when COVID came around. Because I have a strong background in biological warfare, and pandemics, and pandemic response, I started doing a lot of research at the beginning of 2020 — and keeping a blog, and telling people, trying to explain the pandemic to them: explain SARS-CoV-2, explain SARS-CoV-1, try to put things into perspective. I talked about masks, talked about tests, you know how to protect yourself, how to clean your vegetables, for example. I talked about every aspect of the pandemic in this blog. And so as things evolved … and also what I did by chance was I read articles, the Nature Medicine article, an article in The Lancet, and other things. And I came to conclude very early back in the end of March of 2020, that there was a cover-up going on regarding the origin of COVID. And that it certainly came from a lab there was no question about that. So … so that I've written about also over time, and I, in fact, am … I was the only person who said regarding the Nature Medicine article that I don't believe the five authors actually wrote that article. It was an article that lacked scientific validity, it was clearly propaganda — and I said, these guys would not have come up with this by themselves. Either someone else wrote it, or they were told to write it. And, in fact, when we got the Fauci emails early in 2021, we found out that Fauci and Francis Collins and Jeremy Farrar, who's the head of the Wellcome Trust in the UK, in fact, did direct them to write this article … and assisted … Fauci edited it, and people from the Wellcome Trust were who … so Fauci was an a … he was a ghost writer, and, and staff at the Wellcome Trust, were also ghost writers on that paper. So anyway, so I've sort of been stuck into many aspects of this. And then when the vaccines came out, I of course, being also an expert in vaccines, I took a close look at the vaccines — and as evidence became obvious that they were not working the way they should, and were causing a lot of side effects, I made that very plain as well. What happened after that was that national organizations that are involved with the licensing or the certification, a board specialty certification of doctors started issuing advice to their members, that they should not use "misinformation" or "disinformation" regarding treatments and vaccines for COVID and threatening them with loss of their specialty certification or even loss of their license. And this started in mid 2021, and it was broad … it came from the AMA, the American Medical Association, the American Board of Internal Medicine, Family Practice, and Pediatrics, and the Federation of State Medical Boards, which is an organization that all the licensing boards for all the states and territories belong to. So for some reason, all these organizations that are allegedly nonprofit, but earn a great deal of money, their CEOs, in general earn more than a million dollars a year … all these organizations at the same time started threatening doctors not to spread "misinformation," and basically follow the government program on the evaluation and treatment of COVID. Well, I wrote to several of them and said, you know, you have no authority to issue these threats. Guess what, we have a First Amendment. It's … it gives us freedom of speech. And I also challenged my own licensing board and said, you know, what, who, who created a new crime of "misinformation"? I, you know, I don't see that on the statute. The legislature didn't vote on this, you know, does the board of licensure and medicine get to invent new crimes? So all these things happened. And so I wasn't surprised when they went after me. But I felt like this was such a fundamental issue, because it's not only happening in Maine, it's happening throughout the country. So this Federation of State Medical Boards has managed to exhort 15 different medical boards to actually go after, to challenge the licenses of doctors in 15 states. Luckily, the other 50 or so boards, 55 have not, they have a little they actually maybe read the law. Maybe they know there's a First Amendment, and they haven't done it, but 15 of the boards have started threatening or even removing the licenses of doctors force free speech. And as I said, I mean, we're going through a really apocalyptic time in history. And this is a fundamental constitutional freedom of speech issue, I'm out towards the end of my career, I don't need the money to practice. I'm not supporting a family anymore. And I felt that if anyone could take a risk to challenge this, what I thought was totalitarian, Soviet style approach to controlling medicine, then I, you know, would be … and I have a stellar record, I've never had a malpractice case, I've never had an adverse board action, you know, my medical career is so clean, I thought they can't possibly go after me for my treatment of patients. And in fact, they haven't. So … so that's my story. Tessa Lena: Oh, that is such a stunning situation that you're dealing with, especially the psychological evaluation … like, as I'm saying, that I'm still rubbing my eyes, because that is straight back to the USSR, before my days, actually. And so your response on your blog to the complaints and to the suspension of your license is stellar, I think. So if you want to go over the points? Dr. Meryl Nass: Okay. So, the Board … here's what happened. So the Board said, we got two complaints from citizens. They are not your patients. They've never met you. But they saw videos of you online, and they complain that you were spreading "misinformation." Respond. Which was very Soviet in itself. So I said, Look, what's the "misinformation"? Be specific! And they wouldn't answer. So I said, you expect me to defend myself against anything I've ever said, online or outside the office? I said, what right do you have to even investigate my private life? Of course, they didn't answer that, either. So then they … one of the complaints was the interview that Dr. Mercola did with me. So they got it transcribed, and they just put, you know, they just threw the transcript into my docket, as if I have to … now … I'm expected to provide evidence for every single statement I made in an hour plus interview. Well, you know, again, that doesn't sound very legal. You know, they haven't actually accused me of a crime. They haven't said one statement is wrong, but I have to defend myself. So another Soviet tactic. That was the first two complaints. The third one was … so what the Board of Medicine and the Board of Pharmacy have done in my state, and I suspect has happened in many other states, is because they don't have the authority to stop the prescribing by doctors and the dispensing by pharmacists of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, they have instead sent out letters, memos and other things, indicating that these are not FDA approved for purpose, and implying that doctors and pharmacists who do provide these to patients could be investigated, could have their licenses removed. And they didn't say that in so many words. They implied it in several warnings. And so what happened is almost every pharmacist in the state of Maine will no longer dispense these medications, even though they're legal, that they have licenses, they are for humans. I can write prescriptions. And the governor of the state even made an order in 2020 that hydroxychloroquine cannot be used for prophylaxis but can be used for the treatment of acute COVID. So I had a patient about six weeks ago, who was a very high risk patient. I was very frightened of what might happen to him if he got COVID. And I had prescribed ivermectin previously, which was legal, but not hydroxychloroquine because it wasn't legal in my state. And when he got COVID, I then said, well, we better give you the hydroxychloroquine now, and I knew there were no pharmacies in his area that were willing to dispense it. So I called it in any way. And I didn't state the reason which you … they want you to stay so that they can decide whether or not to dispense it. And the pharmacist, I left a message and the pharmacist called me back and said what's it's for. And so I could either say COVID, and the patient wouldn't receive the medication. Or I could say something else. So I said something else. I said Lyme disease, and the pharmacist dispensed the medication, the patient took it, he eventually wound up in the hospital on a ventilator anyway. That's how high risk he was. He survived. He's much better now. But that's what happened. And I immediately informed the board and I said, Look, your policies and the policies of the pharmacy board have forced me to lie to a pharmacist in order to get a patient a sorely needed medication. And you need to change your policies. This is not acceptable. So … so the third complaint was that I lied to a pharmacist. Now I had told them five minutes after I did it that I had lied to a pharmacist, they had forced me to lie to a pharmacist because it was perfectly legal to do what I had done to prescribe this drug and have it dispensed. But only because of these whispers and veiled threats we couldn't get it for the patient, and I had to lie. So that was complaint three. There were two more complaints from health care professionals. Both of … one said, this doctor prescribed hydroxychloroquine to a patient she was pregnant. And I should have I should have been called. And I would have given the patient monoclonal antibodies. The second doctor said, this doctor prescribed ivermectin to a patient and the patient didn't recover and wound up in the hospital. And this could have delayed care, proper care. So those were the complaints, not one from a patient or a patient's family. Not one, not a single one of these five complaints really alleging that I had harmed a patient. But that was enough for them to start a witch hunt, a fishing expedition. And so, by … so then they said, Well, you're immediately a danger to your patients. So we summarily suspend your license, and we direct you to a neuro psychological examination. Now, they had nothing, really they had nothing on me, just these, you know, things that are not really crimes. So it's not a crime to prescribe a licensed drug. And when you're a licensed doctor, and it was off label, well guess what, 20 to 40% of all drugs are prescribed off label. It's nothing wrong with that. So … What they really wanted to do was to ruin my life as much as possible. By ordering the psychological exam, they then were able to put these records in the public domain and smear me. So the national news then reported on me, implying that I had a substance abuse problem, and this is why I needed a neuropsych exam. And I've never been a substance abuser. The other thing the board did … so, once you're reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, basically you can't get a license in another state, and you can't get a job. So that's also … by ordering the psych exam, that sends me into the National Practitioner Data Bank. The other thing they did was said we want … because they needed a patient … they needed to find something I've done wrong, and they still didn't have anything … they said, we want a list of every patient you've seen in the last six months. So … and I've had two lawyers who are assigned to me by my malpractice insurer, and both of them, when they got into this case, they quit. So at the moment, I don't even have a lawyer. The lawyers don't want to handle it. Yeah, so that's the situation. Tessa Lena: But it's stunning. The amount of ignorance … because even though I am not a doctor … my closest relationship to medicine is I grew up with doctors, and I helped my mom translate her thesis when I was a kid. But even I knew, before reading your blog, that hydroxychloroquine was safe in pregnancy. I mean, I knew that being a layman, and they did not know that? Dr. Meryl Nass: The midwife apparently did not know that. She also didn't know that the monoclonal antibodies she wanted to give the patient are not approved or authorized in pregnancy, and the risk is completely unknown. You know … but this is … people have drunk the Kool Aid, they don't realize that they cannot any longer trust the advice from federal agencies, you know, and especially someone like a midwife who's a nurse, a nurse practitioner, basically, they are … their whole career has been taking orders from the medical establishment and from doctors. They don't realize they have the ability to actually look things up, and they don't have to just do what they're told. So … with the electronic medical record, now, if you type in "COVID," you know, the electronic medical record will come up and spit out what you're supposed to give the patient and it will say Remdesivir, or it'll say monoclonal antibodies, or, you know, another experimental antiviral … it doesn't say, hydroxychloroquine, or ivermectin — and doctors who are using these electronic medical records don't even, you know, realize that there are other options out there. Tessa Lena: But your record of treating patients has been extremely successful. And, as you said, none of your patients complained, none of their family members complained. Dr. Meryl Nass: Correct. Tessa Lena: That is just stunning. And you know, what I was thinking as I was preparing for this interview, probably the same people who are complaining, or at least their higher ups, if they were in a critical condition, they would probably choose you as a doctor. And not Dr. Fauci. Dr. Meryl Nass: Yes. Because … Tessa Lena: Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. Dr. Meryl Nass: That's true. I know Peter McCullough has said he has treated, you know, many legislators, for example. And I met a lawyer who then became an Attorney General in one of the states. And he and his wife told me that they had to smuggle ivermectin into their son … in the hospital, with COVID, because the doctors wouldn't give it. So, I mean, it's an amazing story. This this person who's now an Attorney General, not in New England, had to smuggle ivermectin in for his son, to keep him alive. So yes, many of the officials do know that these drugs are effective and want them for themselves, and get them for themselves. But they go along with the narrative. They don't challenge it. And, you know, their career is more important. And I felt that, you know, truth and the First Amendment, and changing medicine … medicine should … medicine is supposed to be about a relationship between a doctor and a patient and helping an individual patient get the best care they need, not enforcing government diktats on patients, not … not bringing in a new normal via … sorry … a new normal via enforced medical care and enforced medical lockdowns, masks, etc. The I think the whole medical profession the medical establishment has been used to make profound changes in our society, you know, under the guise of dealing with a pandemic. And so, you know, I feel like I have to stand up for that. That's much more important than preserving my career. Tessa Lena: I admire you, and the situation in medicine … Well, several things to say here. One, it reminds me of the early Nazi Germany where as we know, the doctors and the nurses were at the forefront of the psychological change, where the nurses would, you know, hug a baby with a disability, and then inject them with a lethal injection and kill them. And they knew they were doing that, and they did it kind of from love. And it took seemingly not that much to convince them that that was an act of goodness, to kill that baby with disability. And that says a lot. And … and doctors, from what I hear, in Nazi Germany were very, very highly represented in the Nazi Party. Dr. Meryl Nass: Yes. Tessa Lena: They were joining in high numbers and other professions. And these were educated people who well, presumably, joined the profession in order to help people. So, what can be done to human head with ideology is just horrifying and stunning. And just … Dr. Meryl Nass: Tessa, there is a … there is a very disturbing movie … there have been rumors about euthanasia in the UK, during the pandemic. And there's a disturbing movie called "A good death" that has just been released, about the fact that doctors and nurses in hospitals in the UK have been injecting patients with COVID, with a mix of midazolam, which is like Valium, but stronger, and morphine, and sometimes other drugs, to give them also a good death, as quick and easy death. And it's very disturbing, there are documents showing that the UK bought a couple of years worth of midazolam, this drug, like Valium, that is used for euthanasia, and … at the beginning of the pandemic, and went through this two years stockpile in a couple of months, two or three months, and then wound up buying some more. I can't vouch for the total veracity of this, but it is extreme … there are many families interviewed … It's very disturbing. And one can see that under … again, in the UK, in the US under the guise of protecting the National Health Service or protecting our hospitals, you know, people had to put off their surgeries had to do various things, so they wouldn't disturb the hospital so they could take care of COVID patients. And if you're in a hospital, and you run out of beds, it may make sense that you have to kill off the older COVID patients. So you have room for the younger ones, or something like that. These are, you know, the obviously against the law, very troubling. One of the ways that this can be ushered in is if drugs or if drugs or ventilators are used that are emergency use authorized, all liability is taken away from the doctors, nurses and others who are making use of these products. So if you give a patient, for example, Remdesivir was authorized, now it's approved, or monoclonal antibodies, and the patient dies, you can't be sued. If the patient's injured, you can't be sued, the manufacturer can't be sued, the hospital can't be sued. Everybody has had their liability waived as long as you're using one of these experimental products. And when you go into the hospital with COVID, those experimental products are what the doctor has been told to use. So this is a legal mechanism that enables very bad things to happen in a way where nobody is afraid they will be punished afterwards. Tessa Lena: That is a frightening thought. And I've also heard about it, I haven't seen the documentary, so thank you for mentioning, I will definitely watch it. But it is stunning to think about the slide towards evil. Like, it does not have to start with a person desiring to do evil, it can start in an entirely different place. And then, by peer pressure, and just seeing evil happening and gradually normalizing it in own head, somebody who started with the greatest intentions, can become a messenger of evil without even realizing that, and then it's too late. And it's really, really stunning to think about it. Like I know, for example, that after the fall of the Soviet Union, what was happening in the hospitals there, I don't know about euthanasia or anything like that, but I know for a fact that they would sometimes tie a patient to a bed or not allow relatives to come in, and then the person might die, and things like that that are just unthinkable cruelty. And this is something I've been thinking about for years just because of my family history over there, and It stunned me back then. And it seems like now, it is almost the norm in hospitals. I don't want to say "the norm," it's too scary, it's too dark … maybe not. But at least much more of a norm. And … Dr. Meryl Nass: It actually is the norm. Most hospitals will not let family in anymore. What someone told me, I don't know if this is true, either. They said the family was only led in once they had agreed basically to let the patient go. Once they agreed to disconnect them from a ventilator, then the family was allowed in to say their goodbyes … Sorry … Tessa Lena: I don't know … I am like, what is happening to people's heads? Because the concept of medical murder, I think, is something that is so hard for many average citizens, and I mean," average" as in, just like normal people … so hard to accept. Because if you think about, say, an American, a regular American who had a somewhat successful career, or very successful career, they made money, they had their prime time, they went to parties, they had relationships, they, I don't know, gave interviews … they did all those things that are glorious and pleasant. And then all of a sudden, they're old. And they're locked in the hospital room. And all of a sudden, they see the face of the machine, and that's it. And their families are not allowed in, and they're being murdered. And maybe they even realize at that point, in those last few days, that they're being murdered, or maybe not, but that that is it. And nobody sees that. Talking about it is suspicious, it makes you sound crazy because it just "can't be happening." And that is a horrifying thought. And so many people had even their family members who died from COVID in the hospital. And then that was used to frighten everybody else, and to justify all the draconian measures, and … Dr. Meryl Nass: Or the families who begged the hospital to give their family member ivermectin, and they won't. And then … and then they have to bring in a lawyer and sue the hospital. And the hospitals are paying lawyers to fight back to not give patients a drug that could be life-saving. Who is who is paying the hospital, to spend money to try to prevent patients from getting a perfectly safe drug that might be life-saving? I mean, we're in a very, very dark situation. As I said, the medical industry is being used to bring in the new normal, and the new normal is not looking very nice. And people don't really know what's going on, even I don't know, I'm not working in a hospital any longer, so I don't know what's happening. But I do have people call me, begging me to help, you know, get their relative medications. But once you're in the hospital, I can't help. I can help as a … I could have helped as an outpatient … I cannot now do anything. But before, you can treat patients as long as there are outpatients … once they enter the hospital. You have no … no say over them. It's the doctors who are assigned to them there. Tessa Lena: It is frightening. I know one good story where a friend's relative in her 90s was in the hospital for another reason … she developed pneumonia, then she was diagnosed with COVID. And nobody knows whether COVID was the reason or what but she ended up surviving, and they treated her as a human being, as in … I don't think they were giving her COVID medications per se, but that probably wasn't even the reason, so they treated her with care. And they treated her pneumonia properly, and she survived, and she was out, and she's fine. So that is one story because I was terrified when she was in the hospital. But there are so many stories that are the opposite of that, unfortunately. So the hospital … Dr. Meryl Nass: You know, another thing that happened early on, and I … I wrote widely about this mean, I probably wrote the seminal article, was that there were several clinical trials, which gave patients excessive doses of hydroxychloroquine that were potentially lethal. And one of these trials was done throughout the UK and enrolled 1600 people in the arm of the trial that gave a dose of hydroxychloroquine that was several times higher than normal. It's … that those has never been used therapeutically before for anything. There was no justification for it. And 25% of the patients in that trial died. They … WHO had a trial, and they enrolled about 1000 patients, and they overdose hydroxychloroquine arm, and a bit over 100 patients died. These trials persisted even after a Brazilian trial had overdosed people on the cousin of hydroxychloroquine, which is Chloroquine … had shown that they had an enormous number of deaths, 40% in in a small trial of overdosed Chloroquine, and they, the Brazilians told the world about it, they immediately reported it, it was published in the Jama in April of last year, as soon as it happened — and yet the UK trial, and the WHO trial persisted and continued until June, and the WHO trial only stopped three days after I had written to Tedros and others at the WHO and told them, If you have not disclosed to your subjects that you're giving them a potentially lethal dose of this drug, you will be liable. And then the trial stopped. But the fact that, you know, many doctors in different countries were involved with these trials, and none of them apparently bothered to look up the dose and find out that they were giving a borderline lethal dose to patients … when you think about it … think of … I mean, over 2600 people in these large clinical trials in multiple countries were overdosed with hydroxychloroquine, apparently, for the purpose of making the … giving the drug such a bad name, that nobody would use it. And this is April, May 2020. Tessa Lena: I remember when you just wrote about it, I was stunned. And the fact that the medication that is so old, and, I don't know, people at the WHO didn't know the correct dosage? With the doctors, they probably just complied, even though it would have helped to read about the dosage, but … stunning. Dr. Meryl Nass: So … you can't … you can't make a mistake, I don't think you can make a mistake like this when the WHO had committees designed to figure out what those to use, right? And the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had people on all the committees of the WHO, determining what drugs and doses should be used to … in the trials for COVID, early on, starting in March, two years ago. And Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a group of scientists who work on malaria drugs, Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine are malaria drugs. So this group actually models dosing for malaria drugs, and members of this group were in the group at WHO determined the doses. So I don't think this was a mistake. Tessa Lena: It is so dark. Because then, there is no other explanation than murder. And it is so dark. And even when the evidence points at that … it is like, even for me, and I write about those things, I research those things, it is very hard to accept. Something in me wants to find another explanation, there has to be another explanation … it's just too dark! Dr. Meryl Nass: I don't think there were too many people who actually knew, I think. I think most people in, you know, Western Europe, In the UK, they don't deal with malaria, right. I've had malaria. I have familiarity with these drugs. I spent six months in Africa, six months in India. So I know all the malaria drugs, but most doctors don't. I think a few people came up with the dosing, for whatever reason, and everybody else simply went along, they were all busy, it was the beginning of the COVID pandemic, right? Everybody was scratching their heads, trying to figure out what to do, didn't have PPE, everybody was frightened out of their wits, the doctors and the nurses were wearing garbage bags instead of PPE. And everybody did what they were told. And these trials were set up, certainly the WHO trial was set up, such that the, the doctors and nurses did not select the doses, you just typed in a little bit of demographic information on the patient, and then WHO would say which drug to be used, and the dose, so it kind of took those decisions out of the hands of the local doctors. There also was … was not formal, informed consent in that WHO trial. They claimed that they … some of the consent was obtained afterwards, and that they'd given the informed consent forms to the patient. Well, of course, you don't do that. You'll have to keep them for the trial. It's a legal document. They say they gave them to the patient, so … they did not get informed consent from … for the patients in the WHO clinical trial. I don't know … it's a very difficult time. There are a few bad people and a lot of people who don't know any better. They probably don't know what the laws are. They don't know how the system works and they're, you know, putting one foot in front of the other. It's very hard to be a doctor today. You don't have very much autonomy, you don't have much authority, everybody's looking over your shoulder. And they're, I think most of them are just trying to keep their nose clean and just keep on marching until they can retire. Tessa Lena: That is so sad. And now, switching towards philosophy for a second, I remember the time prior to the pandemic, a few years before the pandemic, when there were so many warnings, saying that if algorithmic thinking and algorithmic technology takes over medicine or aviation, it's not going to be pretty, because eventually doctors are going to be slaves to the algorithm, and they're going to be afraid for their licenses, because they're going to be sued if they step a little bit away from the algorithm, and they're going to be trapped, and not really practicing medicine anymore. But a few years ago, it was just philosophy, kind of, a conversation over a glass of wine. Dr. Meryl Nass: Right. Exactly. Theoretical, Tessa Lena: Theoretical. And … and I had those conversations, and I even led some of those conversations — and I could not imagine in my wildest dreams that this would be happening in 2020 and on. It is really scary. Dr. Meryl Nass: Well, so … so you can see. I mean, from my perspective, when all these things are happening, it makes sense that you have to stand up and say no, you know, I can't be a silent German. Whatever the risk, you know … you have to say enough is enough. Tessa Lena: Good for you! And I actually suspect that when the darkness passes, which it will, even though we don't know when, but those doctors who are compliant, many of them might be thrown under the bus. Because that's how it usually works in history. Dr. Meryl Nass: Yeah … I mean, I … I'm not so sure that's what happens in history. I think the … the obedient people continue to be obedient and usually get by, but I, I have nothing … you know, I think everybody is doing their best. I think there's very few people who have the background I have, who have … you know, I've consulted for the Director of National Intelligence here in the United States. And I've consulted for the Ministry of Health in Cuba. You know, as I said, I've traveled to many countries. I've seen how things work. And I, you know, so I have a broader perspective. I know … I know, the law because I was very much involved with the legal work around the anthrax vaccine for years. So I learned what the law was regarding drugs and vaccines, and almost no doctors have that kind of background. So when … when a board tells them they can't, you know, spread "misinformation," they assume the board has the authority to say that, and they assume they better not spread "misinformation." And they, you know, try … try to do the right thing, so … I don't have … I'm, I'm not really angry at anyone, I think this is a combination of a lot of ignorance, and a few bad actors. And I do hope the bad actors will be, you know, taken to task. But I think for the rest, we need to start teaching people the Constitution, the law, you know, your … your country has guaranteed you rights, and you must not give them up. You know, a lot of people fought and died for these rights, and you can't walk away from them. And freedom of speech is the First Amendment as is freedom of religion. The states are not allowed to take these rights away from you, that's the 14th amendment. So, hopefully, people will learn, they'll learn what their rights are, they learn what the right thing is, and they'll learn that there's something sacred about the doctor patient relationship. It's not the doctor patient government relationship, or the doctor patient pharma relationship. It's the doctor patient relationship. And unless the patient is the only thing the doctor cares about, that trust is broken, and the whole edifice of medicine will collapse. Tessa Lena: Well, thank you for being so wonderful and courageous. I really admire you as a human being and your work and your stance. It is really, really admirable. And I hope that a lot more people will follow in your footsteps, and stop complying if they're compliant today, it is very important. Dr. Meryl Nass: Thank you, Tessa. Thank you. Good to meet you. Tessa Lena: Good to meet you, too. So, is there anything that you want to add before we wrap up, and also where can people find you? I'm sure people know, but just the mention it here. Dr. Meryl Nass: So I have two blogs. The one I update most frequently is anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com. My other blog is merylnassmd.com. And if I have time, I will make a Substack. Thank you. Tessa Lena: Oh thank you. And good luck! I hope you win very very soon and gloriously. Dr. Meryl Nass: I appreciate it, thank you, bye-bye. Tessa Lena: Bye-bye. About the AuthorTo find more of Tessa Lena's work, be sure to check out her bio, Tessa Fights Robots. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/01/31/dr-meryl-nass-under-attack.aspx Early on in the COVID pandemic, people suspected that the deaths attributed to the infection were exaggerated. There was plenty of evidence for this. For starters, hospitals were instructed and incentivized to mark any patient who had a positive COVID test and subsequently died within a certain time period as a COVID death. At the same time, we knew that the PCR test was unreliable, producing inordinate amounts of false positives. Now, the truth is finally starting to come out and, as suspected, the actual death toll is vastly lower than we were led to believe. COVID Deaths Have Been Vastly OvercountedIn the video above, Dr. John Campbell reviews recent data released by the U.K. government in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. They show that the number of deaths during 2020 in England and Wales, where COVID-19 was the sole cause of death, was 9,400. Of those, 7,851 were aged 65 and older. The median age of death was 81.5 years. During the first quarter of 2021, there were 6,483 deaths where COVID-19 was the sole cause of death, again with the vast majority, 4,923, occurring in seniors over 65. A total of 346 died from COVID-19 alone during the second quarter of 2021, and in the third quarter, the COVID death toll was 1,142. Again, these are people with no other underlying conditions that might have caused their death. So, in all, for the 21 months covering January 2020 through September 2021, the total COVID-19 death toll in England and Wales was 17,371 — a far cry from what's been reported. As of the end of September 2021, the U.K. government reported there were 137,133 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, and these deaths were therefore all counted as "COVID deaths." In a January 19, 2022, press conference, U.K. health secretary Sajid Javid admitted that the daily government figures are unreliable as people have been and continue to die from conditions unrelated to COVID-19, but are included in the count due to a positive test.1 He also admitted that about 40% of patients presently counted as hospitalized COVID patients were not admitted due to COVID symptoms. They were admitted for other conditions and simply tested positive. COVID Has Primarily Killed Those Close to Death AnywayCampbell also points out that of the 17,371 people who had COVID-19 as the sole cause of death, 13,597 were 65 or older. The average age of death in the U.K. from COVID in 2021 was 82.5 years. Compare that to the projected life expectancy in the U.K., which is 79 for men and 82.9 for women.2 This hardly constitutes an emergency, least of all for healthy school- and working-age individuals. Campbell then goes on to review data on excess deaths from cancer. Estimates suggest there have been an extra 50,000 cancer deaths over the past 18 months — deaths that normally would not have occurred. Delayed diagnosis and inability to receive proper treatment due to COVID restrictions are thought to be primary reasons for this. As noted by Campbell, when we're looking at excess deaths, we really need to take things like age of death into account. COVID-19, apparently, killed mostly people who were close to the end of life expectancy anyway, so the loss of quality life years isn't particularly significant. That needs to be weighed against the deaths of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have died from untreated cancer and other chronic diseases, thanks to COVID restrictions. CDC Highlights Role of Comorbidities in Vaxxed COVID Deaths>>>>> Click here <<<<< In the U.S., data suggest a similar pattern of exaggerated COVID death statistics. Most recently, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited research3 showing that 77.8% of people who had received the COVID jab yet died from/with COVID also had, on average, four comorbidities.4,5 "So, really, these are people who were unwell to begin with," Walensky said. But while Walensky points to this study as evidence that the COVID shot works wonders to reduce the risk of death, the exact same pattern has been shown in the unvaccinated. People without comorbidities have very little to worry about when it comes to COVID. For example, a 2020 study6 found 88% of hospitalized COVID patients in New York City had two or more comorbidities, 6.3% had one underlying health condition and 6.1% had none. At that time, there were no COVID jabs available. Similarly, in late August 2020, the CDC published data showing only 6% of the total death count had COVID-19 listed as the sole cause of death. The remaining 94% had had an average of 2.6 comorbidities or preexisting health conditions that contributed to their deaths.7 So, yes, COVID is a lethal risk only for the sickest among us, just as Walensky said, but that's true whether you're "vaccinated" or not. Most COVID Deaths Likely Due to Ventilator MalpracticeIn addition to the issue of whether people die "from" COVID or "with" a SARS-CoV-2 positive test, there's the issue of whether incorrect treatment is killing COVID patients. By early April 2020, doctors warned that putting COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation increased their risk of death.8,9 One investigation showed a staggering 80% of COVID-19 patients in New York City who were placed on ventilators died,10 causing some doctors to question their use. U.K. data put that figure at 66% and a small study in Wuhan found 86% of ventilated patients died.11 In an April 8, 2020, article, STAT News reported:12
At the time, emergency room physician Dr. Cameron Kyle-Sidell argued that patients' symptoms had more in common with altitude sickness than pneumonia.13 Similarly, a paper14 by critical care Drs. Luciano Gattinoni and John J. Marini described two different types of COVID-19 presentations, which they refer to as Type L and Type H. While one benefited from mechanical ventilation, the other did not. Despite that, putting COVID patients on mechanical ventilation is "standard of care" for COVID across the U.S. to this day. Without doubt, most of the early COVID patients were killed from ventilator malpractice, and patients continue to be killed — not from COVID but from harmful treatments. Better Alternatives to Ventilation ExistMechanical ventilation can easily damage the lungs as it's pushing air into the lungs with force. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) would likely be a better alternative, as it allows your body to absorb a higher percentage of oxygen without forcing air into the lungs. HBOT also improves mitochondrial function, helps with detoxification, inhibits and controls inflammation and optimizes your body's innate healing capacity. Doctors have also had excellent results using high-flow nasal cannulas in lieu of ventilators. As noted in an April 2020 press release from doctors at UChicago Medicine:15
How to Use Prone Positioning at HomeYou can also use prone positioning at home if you struggle with a cough or have trouble breathing. If you're struggling to breathe, you should seek emergency medical care. However, in cases of cough or mild shortness of breath being treated at home, try to avoid spending a lot of time lying flat on your back. Guidelines from Elmhurst Hospital suggest "laying [sic] on your stomach and in different positions will help your body to get air into all areas of your lung." The guidelines recommend changing your position every 30 minutes to two hours, including:16
This is a simple way to potentially help ease breathing difficulties at home. If you or a loved one is hospitalized, this technique can be used there too. Hospital Incentives Are Driving Up COVID DeathsYou might wonder why doctors and hospital administrators insist on using treatments known to be ineffective at best and deadly at worst, while stubbornly refusing to administer anything that has been shown to work, be it intravenous vitamin C, hydroxychloroquine and zinc, ivermectin or corticosteroids. The most likely answer is because they're protecting their bottom line. In the U.S., hospitals not only risk losing federal funding if they administer these treatments, but they also get a variety of incentives for doing all the wrong things. Hospitals receive payments for:17
What's worse, there's evidence that certain hospital systems, and perhaps all of them, have waived patients' rights, making anyone diagnosed with COVID a virtual prisoner of the hospital, with no ability to exercise informed consent. In short, hospitals are doing whatever they want with patients, and they have every incentive to maltreat them, and no incentive to give them treatments other than that dictated to them by the National Institutes of Health. As reported by Citizens Journal,18 the U.S. government actually pays hospitals a "bonus" on the entire hospital bill if they use remdesivir, a drug shown to cause severe organ damage. Even coroners are given bonuses for every COVID-19 death. A Bounty Has Been Placed on Your Life"What does this mean for your health and safety as a patient in the hospital?" Citizens Journal asks.19 Without mincing words, it means your health is in severe jeopardy. Citizen Journal likens government-directed COVID treatments to a bounty placed on your life, where payouts are tied to your decline, not your recovery.
Treat COVID Symptoms Immediately and AggressivelyConsidering the uncertainties around diagnosis, it's best to treat any cold or flu-like symptoms early. At first signs of symptoms, start treatment. Perhaps it's the common cold or a regular influenza, maybe it's the much milder Omicron, but since it's hard to tell, your best bet is to treat symptoms as you would treat earlier forms of COVID. Considering how contagious Omicron is, chances are you're going to get it, so buy what you'll need now, so you have it on hand if/when symptoms arise. And, remember, this applies for those who have gotten the jab as well, since you're just as likely to get infected — and perhaps even more so. Early treatment protocols with demonstrated effectiveness include:
Based on my review of these protocols, I've developed the following summary of the treatment specifics I believe are the easiest and most effective. >>>>> Click here <<<<< from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/01/31/covid-death-statistics.aspx Swallowing is a complex biological action that comprises more than 31 muscles and five cranial nerves1 all working together to facilitate nutrition. Its two main goals are to push food from the mouth into the stomach and to protect airways from foreign objects.2 The Process Model of Feeding was created to help people understand how swallowing works whenever solid foods and liquids are consumed:3
When Your Swallowing Muscles Experience Problems, Dysphagia OccursYour throat and esophagus are prone to many diseases and when either of them is affected, you may experience dysphagia, a condition marked by difficulty swallowing.4 It can be caused by a multitude of factors and disorders, and may lead to complications such as dehydration, malnutrition, pneumonia or an airway obstruction.5 Aside being unable to swallow, other prominent symptoms of dysphagia include:6,7
Risk Factors Associated With DysphagiaAging is the one of the top risk factors connected to dysphagia.8 As people grow older, their ability to swallow becomes harder due to wear and tear on the throat and esophageal muscles. Elderly citizens also have a higher risk of developing diseases that can cause dysphagia, such as esophageal cancer, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.9,10 The onset of neurodegenerative diseases may also increase your risk of dysphagia.11 Stroke, for example, can cause paralysis that can affect any part of your body, including your throat, although it becomes minimal as time passes.12 In addition, those who suffer from cervical spinal cord injury13 and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD),14 a genetic disorder, may experience dysphagia as a side effect.15 Learn How to Manage and Avoid Dysphagia in This GuideWhile the complications of dysphagia are very alarming, the disease is fortunately treatable via a variety of approaches. Consuming a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and avoiding unhealthy vices can all help mitigate the risk factors associated with the underlying causes of dysphagia. In the following pages, discover which methods work best and the best practices you can implement to safeguard your health. MORE ABOUT DYSPHAGIA Next >from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/03/17/xdjm18-dysphagia.aspx More than 66 percent of the U.S. population drinks water with added fluoride,1 despite the fact that studies continue to question its safety and usefulness for its stated purpose: preventing cavities. A number of countries — including Germany, Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands, Finland and Israel — have already stopped this hazardous practice, but many Americans are still at risk. In Canada, nearly 39 percent of the population also receives fluoridated drinking water (compared with only about 3 percent of Europeans).2 It's been known for years that fluoridated water consumption is linked to thyroid dysfunction and behavioral problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and two new studies have added to the already apparent associations. Exposure to Fluoridated Water May Disrupt Thyroid FunctioningYour thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, influences almost every cell in your body. Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism and are required for growth and development in children and nearly every physiological process in your body. When your thyroid levels are unbalanced, it can lead to a cascade of problems throughout your body. In hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid disorder, your thyroid gland activity is suppressed. Also known as underactive thyroid, many with this condition are unaware they have it, and another 4 to 10 percent of the U.S. population may suffer from subclinical hypothyroidism that is missed by testing yet associated with miscarriage, preterm birth and altered growth and neurodevelopment in babies. Even moderately imbalanced thyroid levels may be associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, researchers noted in the journal Environment International, which is why "studying factors that contribute to low thyroid function, even at the subclinical level, is of high public health importance."3 Notably, subclinical hypothyroidism is diagnosed by high serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations, and "fluoride in drinking water, even at levels as low as 0.3–0.5 mg/L, have predicted elevated TSH concentrations," the researchers added. "Higher water fluoride concentrations have also predicted an increased likelihood of a hypothyroidism diagnosis among adults."4 The latest study, which involved data from nearly 7 million Canadian adults not taking any thyroid-related medication, found that higher fluoride levels were not associated with higher TSH levels in the general population; however, when iodine status was accounted for, the results shifted. Iodine Deficiency May Heighten the Risks of Fluoridated WaterYour body uses iodine across several organ systems, but it is most commonly known to synthesize thyroid hormones. Clinically low levels of iodine are associated with visible symptoms, such as a goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland), hypothyroidism or pregnancy-related problems. However, subclinical iodine deficiency can also interfere with your thyroid function. Meanwhile, the Canadian study revealed that adults in Canada who have moderate-to-severe iodine deficiencies and higher fluoride levels tend to have higher TSH levels, which indicates they may be at an increased risk for underactive thyroid gland activity.5 It's a startling finding, considering nearly 2 billion people worldwide don't get enough iodine in their diet.6 As the researchers of the featured study noted, this means that those with iodine deficiency may be at an even greater increased risk from drinking fluoridated water:7
The effects were so worrying that lead study author Ashley Malin, a researcher at the department of environmental medicine and public health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Environmental Health News:8
In 2015, for instance, British researchers warned that 15,000 people may be afflicted with hypothyroidism in the U.K. as a result of drinking fluoridated water.9 In areas where fluoride levels in the water registered above 0.3 mg/l, the risk of having a high rate of hypothyroidism was 37 percent greater compared to areas that do not fluoridate. Pregnant Women Drinking Fluoridated Water Have Higher Fluoride LevelsFluoride exposure can occur from multiple sources, ranging from tea and processed foods to dental products, pharmaceuticals and fluoride-containing pesticides. However, research continues to show that drinking water remains a primary route of exposure, including in pregnant women. In a study of more than 1,500 pregnant women living in Canada, those living in communities with fluoridated drinking water have two times the amount of fluoride in their urine as women living in nonfluoridated communities.10 "Research is urgently needed to determine whether prenatal exposure to fluoride contributes to neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of these women," researchers explained.11 In fact, research has previously revealed that women with higher levels of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy were more likely to have children with lower intelligence. Specifically, each 0.5 milligram per liter increase in pregnant women's fluoride levels was associated with a reduction of 3.15 and 2.5 points on the children's General Cognitive Index (GCI) of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) scores, respectively. Lead researcher Dr. Howard Hu, of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto in Canada, said in a news release:12
The findings were groundbreaking, as the study, which spanned 12 years and received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), was one of the first and largest studies looking into this topic. Prenatal Fluoride Exposure Is Linked to ADHDThe Canadian study on pregnant women living in fluoridated communities revealed levels of fluoride similar to those found in a study of pregnant women living in Mexico City, where the chemical is added to table salt. The same Mexican sample population has now been featured in another study, linking fluoride exposure to ADHD.13 The study, which involved more than 200 mother-children pairs, found that higher levels of fluoride exposure during pregnancy were associated with higher measures of ADHD, including more symptoms of inattention, in the children at ages 6 to 12 years. "[The f]indings are consistent with the growing body of evidence suggesting neurotoxicity of early-life exposure to fluoride," researchers explained.14 It's also possible that fluoride may contribute to or exacerbate behavioral problems such as ADHD by way of pineal gland calcification. Despite its diminutive size, your pineal gland tends to accumulate significant amounts of fluoride, which eventually causes it to calcify. Besides ADHD-like symptoms, pineal calcification may also play a role in Alzheimer's and bipolar disease. According to Frank Granett, director of clinical pharmacy operations at Behavioral Center of Michigan Psychiatric Hospital:15
A review in Lancet Neurology also classified fluoride as one of only 11 chemicals "known to cause developmental neurotoxicity in human beings,"16 alongside other known neurotoxins such as lead, methylmercury, arsenic and toluene. Among the proposed mechanisms of harm, studies have shown fluoride can:17
Can Fluoride Be Removed From Drinking Water?Effective 2015, the level of fluoride in U.S. drinking water was reduced to 0.7 mg/L from a previously recommended range of between 0.7 and 1.2 mg/L. If you live in the U.S. and want to know fluoride levels in your water, the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Tap Water Database can help.18 This is important for everyone, but pregnant women and households mixing formula for babies should take extra care to consume fluoride-free water. EWG notes:
Unfortunately, fluoride is a very small molecule, making it tremendously difficult to filter out once added to your water supply. Any simple countertop carbon filter, like Brita, will not remove it. If you have a house water carbon filtration system that has a large volume of carbon, then it may reduce the fluoride as fluoride removal is in direct proportion to the amount of fluoride and the time it's in contact with the media. It's just not going to get it all. Among the more effective filtering systems for fluoride removal are:
The simplest, most effective, most cost-effective strategy is to not put fluoride in the water to begin with. Help End the Practice of FluoridationThere's no doubt about it: Fluoride should not be ingested. Even scientists from the EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory have classified fluoride as a "chemical having substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity." Furthermore, according to the CDC, 41 percent of American adolescents now have dental fluorosis — unattractive discoloration and mottling of the teeth that indicate overexposure to fluoride. Clearly, children are being overexposed, and their health and development put in jeopardy. Why? The only real solution is to stop the archaic practice of water fluoridation in the first place. Fortunately, the Fluoride Action Network has a game plan to END water fluoridation worldwide. Clean pure water is a prerequisite to optimal health. Industrial chemicals, drugs, and other toxic additives really have no place in our water supplies. So, please, protect your drinking water and support the fluoride-free movement by making a tax-deductible donation to the Fluoride Action Network today. Internet Resources Where You Can Learn MoreI encourage you to visit the website of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) and visit the links below:
Together, Let's Help FAN Get the Funding They DeserveIn my opinion, there are very few NGOs that are as effective and efficient as FAN. Its small team has led the charge to end fluoridation and will continue to do so with our help! Please make a donation today to help FAN end the absurdity of fluoridation. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/10/23/thyroid-deficiency-linked-to-iodine-deficiency-fluoridated-water.aspx By Dr. Mercola Iodine deficiency and the thyroid conditions related to it are a serious public health concern. Several studies published earlier this year suggest iodine deficiency is re-emerging. While about 40 percent of the world's population is thought to be at risk of iodine deficiency,1 residents of developed countries are increasingly found to be lacking this essential nutrient. Your body cannot produce iodine so you must get if from your diet. Iodine is necessary to make thyroid hormones, which control your metabolism and other vital functions. Because your thyroid hormones also support proper bone and brain development in utero and during infancy, the proper intake of iodine is critically important for pregnant women, nursing mothers and their babies. What Is Iodine and Why Is It Important?As mentioned, iodine is an essential element needed for the production of thyroid hormone. Because your body does not make iodine, you need to be intentional to ensure you obtain sufficient amounts of this nutrient on a daily basis. Although iodine can be sourced from the foods you eat or through a supplement, many people eating a standard American diet generally get enough iodine simply by using table salt. I'll say more about salt later in the article. When your body lacks sufficient iodine, it cannot make enough thyroid hormone. If your deficiency is severe, your thyroid may become enlarged, a condition also known as a goiter. Iodine deficiency can also cause hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). In some cases, lack of sufficient iodine can trigger intellectual disabilities and developmental problems in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.2 According to the American Thyroid Association, iodine deficiency has also been linked to "increased difficulty with information processing, diminished fine motor skills, extreme fatigue, depression, weight gain and low basal body temperatures, among other things."3 Studies Highlight Iodine Deficiency as an Emerging Problem in Developed NationsA 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients4 involving 1,007 mothers who gave birth to 1,017 children (including 10 twin pairs; multiple births other than twins were excluded), suggests iodine deficiency is a significant public health issue in Norway. After collecting data multiple times during pregnancy, at birth and during four follow-up points until the babies reached age 18 months, the researchers concluded:
Another body of 2018 research, published in JAMA,5 implicated iodine deficiency as a factor associated with impaired fertility. The study included 467 American women who were trying to become pregnant during a four-year span. The researchers, who were associated with the National Institutes of Health, found:6
An earlier study published in 20137 found children of women with a UI/Cr ratio of less than 150 mcg/g during pregnancy were more likely to have lower scores on verbal IQ, reading accuracy and reading comprehension at age 8. Iodine Is an Essential Nutrient During the First 1,000 Days of LifeIn a March 2018 study published in Nutrients,8 researchers from the U.K.'s University of Surrey and Spain's Hospital Riotinto observed the effects of a mother's iodine deficiency related to various stages of child development — during pregnancy, breastfeeding and the first two years of life. About the outcomes, Health.News noted:9
"Iodine is most critical in the early stages of development, as the fetal brain is extremely dependent on iodine supply and it cannot be replaced by any other nutrient," suggests study coauthor Dr. Ines Velasco from the pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology unit of Hospital Riotinto. "[A]n adequate iodine intake in pregnancy is needed to achieve optimal fetal neurodevelopment." Iodine Deficiency: Its History and CausesYou may associate iodine with salt. There's a long-standing connection between the two mainly because beginning in the U.S. in 1924, iodine (in the form of potassium iodide) was added to table salt to address the skyrocketing rates of deficiency.10 Many residents of the Appalachian, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest regions were plagued by goiters. Due to the lack of iodine in the soil and the alarming rates of thyroid dysfunction found in local populations, these areas became referred to as the "goiter belt." At the time, the addition of iodine to table salt, which was an idea borrowed from the Swiss who were adding it for the same reasons, had a noticeably positive effect, reducing the prevalence of deficiency.11 Now, decades later, iodine deficiency is once again showing itself to be a problem. About the issue, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author and nationally recognized expert on chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pain and sleep, asserts:12
Chemicals in Your Environment Can Block Iodine AbsorptionWhile women have a greater incidence of iodine deficiency related to their hormone production, the bodies of both men and women are subject to the poor absorption of iodine and suboptimal use due to environmental contamination. Common contaminants that compete with iodine include:
How Much Iodine Do You Need and How Can You Get It?According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iodine is:17
I always recommend you get as many nutrients as possible from the food you eat and your intake of iodine is no exception. Always choose fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and raw, organic, grass fed dairy. Below are some of the foods known to be rich in iodine:18,19
Health Effects Associated With Iodine DeficiencyEven though the inclusion of iodine in table salt was an effective strategy used to increase iodine levels for decades, it is no longer having effects for a growing portion of the U.S. population. The main reason is that table salt has endured a major loss of popularity and many are choosing to forego this once ubiquitous staple, particularly in developed countries in which other salts have increased in popularity. In recent years, unprocessed salts, such as sea salt and mineral salts like Himalayan pink salt, which is a personal favorite, have become more popular. While mineral salts are wonderful sources of trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vanadium, they may leave you short on iodine since it is not added. In years past, iodine was also added to flour, but has since been replaced with bromide and chlorine, which only exacerbates the problem. As noted by Teitelbaum, chlorine further depletes your body of iodine.20 The most common symptoms/outcomes of iodine deficiency include:21
Given the increasing rates of thyroid deficiencies worldwide, especially in developed countries, you'd be wise to ensure you are getting sufficient daily amounts of iodine. While I do not recommend table salt because it has been stripped of many of its nutrients, there are plenty of healthy sources for iodine. If for any reason you are not able to consume any of those foods, talk to your doctor about taking a high-quality iodine supplement. This vital mineral is much too important to ignore. If you have any symptoms of iodine deficiency, you can take one or both of the following actions to determine your iodine status:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/07/23/iodine-deficiency-top-public-health-issue.aspx By Dr. Mercola Your thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, influences almost every cell in your body. Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism, and are required for growth and development in children and nearly every physiological process in your body. When your thyroid levels are unbalanced, it can spell trouble for your overall health and wellness. Evidence suggests nearly 60 percent of people with suboptimal thyroid function are unaware of their condition.1 While prevalent, it is often easily treatable and may reverse symptoms of other health conditions. Poor thyroid function is linked to health conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, gum disease and autoimmune disorders. Symptoms of low function and the health conditions affected by low levels are varied, as the hormone is used throughout your body. Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have low thyroid function and 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid disorder in her lifetime.2 Understanding the basics of how your thyroid functions and what may cause a dysfunction is important to your overall health. Thyroid FunctionYour thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly on your neck just under your voice box and secretes four hormones: T1, T2, T3 and T4. The number indicates the number of molecules of iodide attached to the hormone. These hormones interact with other hormones, such as insulin, cortisol and sex hormones. Your hypothalamus secretes thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) that triggers the pituitary gland to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that then causes your thyroid to release T4. Almost 90 percent of your thyroid hormone is released in an inactive form of T4. Your liver then converts T4 to T3 with the help of an enzyme. T2 is currently the least understood form of thyroid hormone and is the subject of a number of ongoing studies. When everything is working properly, your body makes enough T4 that is converted to T3 to control the metabolism of every cell in your body. T3 is critical in the communication of messages to your DNA to increase your metabolism by burning fat. In this way, it helps keep you lean. Nutritional imbalances, toxic exposures, allergens, infections and stress can disrupt this hormonal balance, leading to a series of health complications including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Thyroid Cancer Acts Differently Than Other CancersYou may have been swayed by advertisements from an industry-funded foundation3 to be screened for thyroid cancer, but the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has added this screening process to their "don't-do-it category" in recommendations published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.4 The task force believes the consequences of thyroid cancer screening far outweigh the benefits. Although most cancer screenings help detect early disease and increase the potential for successful treatment, in this case early screening may actually backfire. In many cases thyroid cancer screening will yield a false positive result, finding cancers that would never grow into life-threatening tumors.5 However, once discovered, most physicians feel obligated to recommend treatment, which often includes removal of the thyroid gland, and which may have significant side effects. Surgeons may accidently sever nerves that control speech and swallowing, or remove the parathyroid gland that regulates calcium levels in your body. In an accompanying editorial, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, of Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, discussed problems with overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer. Data from the SEER program demonstrated the incidence of thyroid cancer had remained relatively stable until 1990, after which it tripled.6 However, more interesting is that despite this rapid increase, mortality from thyroid cancer has remained stable, an indication cancers are identified and treated that don't require treatment. Welch said:7
Do You Have Underactive Thyroid Function?In this informative video, Dr. Jonathan Wright discusses the measurement of thyroid function and how it should be compared against symptoms you may be experiencing. This was demonstrated in a recent European study in which researchers compared results of treatment against lab testing and symptoms.8 The authors were interested in the clinical effectiveness of treatment with the drug levothyroxine (Synthroid) after patients were diagnosed with low thyroid function. The number of people diagnosed in the U.S. has risen to the point levothyroxine is the most prescribed medication, outdistancing statins in 2015.9 A study from Johns Hopkins found nearly 15 percent of all older Americans were taking levothyroxine.10 However, as popular as this medication appears to be, the European study found the drug had no significant effect on older Europeans with mild symptoms of hypothyroidism.11 Physicians often order a TSH test as part of a routine panel of blood tests, prescribing drugs when the numbers are slightly elevated, although the patient may not complain of significant symptoms. The study participants had higher than normal TSH level at least twice and had complaints of being tired. The researchers assessed cognitive speed, hand strength, weight and blood pressure prior to splitting the group, giving half levothyroxine and half a placebo. After one year of intervention, the researchers found TSH levels returned to normal in the group taking the drugs, but the participants' complaints did not improve over the year in either group. Flame-Retardant Chemicals Affect Thyroid FunctionThe researchers attributed the changes in TSH levels to age in the population studied, as the average participant was 74 years. However, other research has demonstrated environmental toxins may be responsible for a change in your thyroid function, and even for an increasing number of papillary thyroid cancer.12 Lead researcher Dr. Julie Ann Sosa, professor of surgery and medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, said, "Recent studies suggest that environmental factors may, in part, be responsible for this increase." The research focused on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of flame-retardant chemicals. Previous animal studies had demonstrated a link between PBDEs and thyroid function, so Sosa and her colleagues collected dust samples from the homes of 140 participants already diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer who had lived in their home an average of 10 years. The researchers used blood samples to assess exposure to PBDEs and found those living in homes with high levels of BDE-209 were twice as likely to have thyroid cancer. Those with high levels of TCEP dust were four times more likely to have large aggressive tumors. Water Contamination May Trigger Thyroid DiseaseNearly 100 percent of people living in the U.S. have perchlorate in their body, but according to scientists, Arizona is one of the six most perchlorate-polluted states.13 As perchlorate remains stable in water, it may easily invade drinking water supplies. The chemical is known to disrupt health by preventing iodide uptake at the thyroid gland. Your thyroid gland requires iodide in order to produce thyroid hormone.14 Thus if the perchlorate prevents iodide uptake, it reduces the amount of thyroid hormones in your body. Perchlorate may also slow brain development in infants. C. Loren Buck, Ph.D., of Northern Arizona University,15 will lead a two-year study to evaluate the effects of the chemical on citizens in Yuma, Arizona. The process for the biomolecular substitution of perchlorate for iodide is called the Finkelstein Reaction.16 This reaction is not limited to perchlorate in the thyroid gland, but also occurs with other additives found in city water, namely fluoride.17,18 A British study found a strong correlation between areas where fluoride content was highest with higher risk of developing underactive thyroid function. In fact, in areas where the levels of fluoride exceeded 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L) the risk of low thyroid function rose by 30 percent.19 In the U.S., the minimum standards for drinking water fluoridation are set at 0.7 mg/L by the U.S. Health and Human Services.20 This means the risk of low thyroid function as a result of poor iodide uptake may be even higher in Americans than those found in the British study, based on higher levels of fluoridation. Natural Strategies to Support Your Thyroid FunctionA diagnosis of suboptimal thyroid function is best made with a combination of blood testing and screening for clinical symptoms. Symptoms of low thyroid function may include:
There are several natural strategies you may consider to help support your thyroid function and improve your health. These include:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/05/31/screening-thyroid-drugs-often-fail-to-relieve-symptoms.aspx By Dr. Mercola
How Much Iodine Do You Need for Thyroid Health?
Iodine Helps Protect Breast Health Too...
Good Sources of Iodine
Dr. Wright's Thyroid Program
Complicating Matters: Autoimmune Thyroid
The Role of Heavy Metal Toxicity
Eliminating Heavy Metals Requires Special Care
Recommended Types of Thyroid Medications
Treating Overactive Thyroid
Take Control of Your Thyroid Health
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/15/hypothyroid-hyperthyroid-disease.aspx
Dr. John Lowe is a skilled clinician, recognized as one of the leading experts on treating thyroid disease with natural medicine. In this interview, he discusses hypothyroidism and the lesser known thyroid hormone resistance, and how thyroid disease is connected to fibromyalgia.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/26/dr-john-lowe-on-thyroid-disease-part-1.aspx A study links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including most nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics. The study included nearly 4000 adults aged 20 and older whose blood serum was sampled between 1999 and 2006 for PFOA. The researchers found that the individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease. Previous animal studies carried out by other scientists have shown that the compounds can affect the function of the mammalian thyroid hormone system. This system is essential for maintaining heart rate, regulating body temperature and supporting many other body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/13/cookware-chemical-linked-to-thyroid-disease.aspx |
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