Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is the third-most consumed supplement,1 yet many people don’t realize how clinically effective it really is. Although it’s not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment or preventative drug, several new studies show that taking CoQ10 supplements may help address several chronic health conditions, including atrial fibrillation (a-fib), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, heart failure, cancer and migraines, to name a few. Ubiquinol — the reduced, electron-rich form of CoQ10 that your body produces naturally — plays an important role in the electron transport chain of your mitochondria, where it facilitates the conversion of energy substrates and oxygen into the biological energy (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) needed by your cells for life, repair and regeneration. It’s a fat-soluble antioxidant, meaning it works in the fat portions of your body, such as your cell membranes, where it mops up potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). As such, ubiquinol and CoQ10 supplements help protect your mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage, and this in turn has been shown to be helpful for a number of health conditions and chronic diseases. Why CoQ10 Is so ImportantMany conditions, including heart disease and migraines — for which CoQ10 has been found beneficial — appear to be rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction.2 CoQ10 is used by every cell in your body, but especially your heart cells. Cardiac muscle cells have about 5,000 mitochondria per cell, while liver cells have 1,000 to 2,000 mitochondria each.3 As another reference, mitochondria make up about 35% of the volume of cardiac tissue and only 3% to 8% of the volume of skeletal muscle tissue.4 About 90% or more of the ROS in your body are made by your mitochondria.5 Using the analogy of the mitochondria as an engine, the combustion (metabolism) that takes place in there creates exhaust fumes — damaging byproducts when produced in excessive amounts. One of the functions of CoQ10, or ubiquinol, is to neutralize those byproducts.6 When ubiquinol is lacking, the byproducts remain and begin to damage the cell. Ubiquinol is particularly beneficial for your heart health. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for inflammation, and when your CRP is elevated, it suggests you have a heightened risk for heart disease.7 Two other markers for inflammation are gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT),8 which is an early marker of heart failure, and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).9 There's an association between the levels of these two markers and ubiquinol as well. When ubiquinol is supplemented, both these markers go down and genes associated with them are downregulated. Low CoQ10 levels have also been detected in people with certain types of cancer,10 including lung, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as melanoma metastasis, further strengthening the metabolic theory of cancer. The word “coenzyme” also provides a clue to its importance; it works synergistically with other enzymes to digest food, for example. It also has the ability to increase your body’s absorption of important nutrients. More specifically, it helps recycle vitamins C and E,11,12 thereby maximizing their beneficial effects. CoQ10 Can Help Improve Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)AFib is an abnormal, often rapid, heart rhythm that occurs when the atria, your heart’s upper chambers, beat out of sync with the ventricles, the heart’s lower chambers. It’s a common symptom in those with heart failure or heart disease but can also occur on its own. Oxidative stress and increased ROS can play a role in the development of AFib. Conversely, scavenging of ROS and a reduction in oxidative stress have been shown to be an essential part of keeping the heart functioning normally.13 In one study, 102 patients with AFib were divided into two groups. One group was given a CoQ10 supplement while the other group was given a placebo. After 12 months of supplementation, 12 people in the placebo group had AFib episodes compared to only three people in the CoQ10 group.14 CoQ10 Can Stop the Progression of NAFLDNAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease around the world, with a prevalence of 25%.15 Obesity and insulin resistance increase your risk of NAFLD. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, two hallmarks of CoQ10 deficiency, have also been shown to play a role,16 as has choline deficiency, as detailed in “Fatty Liver Disease Is Caused by Choline Deficiency.” Currently, there are no approved medical treatments for NAFLD. Lifestyle changes, such as elimination of processed vegetable oils and processed carbs, remain the gold standard for managing NAFLD and, hopefully, preventing its progression. Since CoQ10 levels tend to be depleted in those with NAFLD, supplementation has been shown to help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.17 In one study,18 44 patients were divided into two groups. One group was given 100 mg of CoQ10 each day, while the other was given a placebo. After four weeks of supplementation, the group taking CoQ10 dropped weight and had lower levels of serum AST, a blood marker that indicates liver disease and/or damage. CoQ10 May Be the Answer for Several Other ConditionsIn addition to helping with AFib and NAFLD, CoQ10 may be the answer to correcting several other chronic health conditions, including the following:
CoQ10 Versus UbiquinolAs mentioned, ubiquinol is the reduced version of CoQ10 (aka ubiquinone). They’re actually the same molecule, but when CoQ10 is reduced it takes on two electrons, which turns it into ubiquinol. In your body, this conversion occurs thousands of times every second inside your mitochondria. The flipping back and forth between these two molecular forms is part of the process that transforms food into energy. Ubiquinol production ramps up from early childhood until your mid- to late 20s. By the time you hit 30, it begins to decline.37 Young people are able to use CoQ10 supplements quite well, but older people do better with ubiquinol, as it’s more readily absorbed. How to Supplement With UbiquinolYour body can naturally make CoQ10, but genetic alterations in metabolism, poor diet, oxidative stress, chronic conditions and aging can all interfere with CoQ10 production and lead to CoQ10 deficiency. Statin drugs can also deplete CoQ10. To maintain good health, an adult body should contain 0.5 to 1.5 g of CoQ1038 and sometimes it takes a supplement to keep you there. Dosing requirements will vary depending on your individual situation and needs. As a general rule, the sicker you are, the more you need. The suggested dose is usually between 30 mg to 100 mg per day if you’re healthy, or 60 to 1,200 mg daily if you’re sick or have underlying health conditions.39 If you have an active lifestyle, exercise a lot or are under a lot of stress, you may want to increase your dose to 200 to 300 mg per day. Importantly, if you're on a statin drug, you need at least 100 mg to 200 mg of ubiquinol or CoQ10 per day, or more. Ideally, you’ll want to work with your physician to determine your ideal dose. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/22/does-ubiquinol-help-afib.aspx
0 Comments
If you’re like most people, you probably assume that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is funded by the U.S. government and therefore isn’t catering to private industries. The agency itself certainly tries to present itself as independent from the industries it regulates but, in reality, legal loopholes have led to the FDA receiving money from, and being captured and corrupted by, private interests. While the FDA itself does not accept corporate money, it does receive money funneled via a nonprofit foundation, which in turn receives money from other nonprofits funded by private interests. It’s really all a façade because the end result is the same. Those donating the money ultimately end up with the ability to pull strings, when needed. The Reagan-Udall FoundationAs explained by NPR1 back in 2012, the Reagan-Udall Foundation is a nonprofit foundation created by Congress in 2007 to support scientific research that is of interest to the FDA. According to NPR:2
As explained in a 2008 article3 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the creation of the Reagan-Udall Foundation was part of a larger plan to establish a private-public partnership to facilitate the Critical Path Initiative. The Critical Path Initiative was part of the FDA’s attempts to streamline and modernize the drug approval process by having companies pay user fees. Part of the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s responsibilities was to set goals and priorities for the Critical Path Initiative, and then award grants to meet those goals. Massive Loophole: Nonprofits Funded by IndustryHowever, critics voiced concern, saying the Reagan-Udall Foundation might allow the food and medical industries “to sway FDA decisions,” since it could raise money from private, including industry, sources. To quell some of these fears, the Reagan-Udall Foundation said it would only accept grants from government, individual donors and other nonprofits, not industry. After a few years of scraping by on small, private donations, the foundation received a $150,000 grant from the PhRMA Foundation, another nonprofit foundation funded by drug companies. Being a nonprofit, the PhRMA Foundation fit the description of an acceptable funding source, but just how independent can it actually be when it’s founded and funded by drug companies? As noted by consumer advocate Sidney Wolfe with Public Citizen, while the PhRMA Foundation is technically a nonprofit, “one can hardly expect that they're going to do things that are not in the interests of their funders."4 Indeed, and this influence is in addition to the influence food, drug and medical device companies already have, by way of user fees. Again, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act established an accelerated application process for new drugs. The sped-up process is funded through industry-paid fees. This fee, however, works more like a payoff or soft bribe. When a company pays the FDA for an accelerated review, the agency no longer has an incentive to find fault with the product or demand more extensive testing. FDA Foundation Funded by the Gates FoundationNot surprisingly, the Reagan-Udall Foundation has received large donations from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which we now know rarely does anything that doesn’t benefit Gates’ personal bottom line and overall agenda. As detailed in “Bill Gates — Most Dangerous Philanthropist in Modern History?” Gates has used his philanthropy to shape public policy in ways that benefit his own agenda. A March 17, 2020, article5 in The Nation titled, “Bill Gates’ Charity Paradox,” even points out that the Gates Foundation has given $2 billion in tax-deductible charitable donations to private companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, IBM, Vodafone, the Mastercard affiliate MasterCard Labs for Financial Inclusion,6,7 Scholastic Inc. and NBC Universal Media.8,9 Many of these so-called donations end up benefiting the Gates Foundation, as it also invests in the very same companies and industries that it donates money to. This circular economy is why Gates just keeps getting richer, the more money he gives away. Part of this wealth growth also appears to be due to the tax breaks given for charitable donations. In short, it’s a perfect money-shuffling scheme that limits taxes while maximizing income generation. If donating to for-profit companies sounds oddly illegal to you, you’d be right. Gates is a tax evader for doing so — he’s simply getting away with it. The nonprofit foundation is a disguise to avoid taxes while funding the research arms of for-profit organizations that his foundation is invested in, which is illegal. The image below shows donations received by the Reagan-Udall Foundation in 2013. Topping the list is the Gates Foundation, whose contributions for the year amounted to $977,165, followed by a string of drug companies. Board Members With Ties to IndustryIn addition to all of this financial clout, food, drug and medical device makers also have the ability to exert influence over the FDA via the members10 of the Foundation board, and this was a concern right from the get-go. As reported in the 2008 Journal of the National Cancer Institute article,11 members of the then-newly created Reagan-Udall Foundation executive board had troubling ties to industry — and to the Gates Foundation, which years later (see above) ended up being a top financial donor. The article, written by Joel B. Finkelstein, reads, in part:12
While the Reagan-Udall Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the FDA, the agency does not have the authority to set conflict-of-interest policies for the foundation.13 This, of course, leaves the door wide open for conflicts of interest and allows the Foundation to become a hidden back door of sorts, for corporate influence. Industry Dictates Level of Evidence FDA Should UseA more recent article,14 published in 2017 in The BMJ, points out that when the Reagan-Udall Foundation is using “big data” assess drug risks and device complications, they’re using “levels of evidence recommended by industry.” The potential for manipulation should be obvious. The article, written by BMJ associate editor Jeanne Lenzer, reads, in part:15
Lenzer also points out that the Foundation’s board of directors still has financial ties to the drug and device makers that the FDA is supposed to regulate. She notes that while no more than four of the 14-member board should be representatives of FDA regulated industries, in 2017, nine of the then 13-member board had financial ties to industry at the time of their appointment. The Ties That BindTo give just one example of how conflicts of interest can have real-world implications, take the case of Ellen V. Sigal, Ph.D.16 Sigal currently chairs the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s board of directors.17 She’s also vice president of the Cancer Moonshot program, and it too is funded by the Gates Foundation. Sigal’s colleague at the Cancer Moonshot Program, Dr. Doug Lowy, is a co-inventor of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, and Sigal’s son, David Sigal, is married to New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who recently sponsored a bill to make Gardasil mandatory for all school children in New York. Hoylman is also supporting a bill that would allow children as young as 9 to receive the HPV vaccine at school without the knowledge or consent of their parents. Gates, of course, is also a supporter of HPV vaccination and funds HPV vaccine research. Lastly, Sigal is on the board of the Parker Institute, which is partnered with a company called Inovio. Inovio, which is funded by the Gates Foundation, is working on a COVID-19 vaccine. What are the chances Sigal’s son-in-law might support efforts to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory in New York as well? When you start tracing relationships, it’s amazing how often you find the Gates Foundation involved in matters relating to forced vaccinations and the destruction of legal protections. FDA’s Lax Oversight of Clinical ResearchSad to say, it’s hard to find a government agency that hasn’t been captured by private interests. I’ve written several articles detailing the corruption at the CDC, for example, including “CDC Petitioned to Stop Lying About Pharma Funds,” “How Conflicts of Interest Have Corrupted the CDC” and “Public Health Agency Sued for Coke Collusion.” The same can be said about the World Health Organization which, of course, is also funded by the Gates Foundation. In fact, when the U.S. withdrew its funding, Gates stepped in and became the largest funder — larger even than entire nations. Without doubt, the FDA can be added to the list of agencies that largely serves corporate masters, hidden as they may be behind nonprofit façades. A recent investigative report18 by Science Magazine highlights the agency’s failures when it comes to overseeing clinical research, which is one of its many duties. Inspectors conduct routine visits to research trial sites and review trial records to make sure research parameters and safety protocols are followed. They also respond to complaints by whistleblowers. However, FDA documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal it rarely sanctions or penalizes researchers or research companies even when grave problems — including fraud — are found. What’s more, there’s a marked trend toward less and less adequate oversight. Case in point: Aspen Clinical Research, run by Dr. Michael Harris, has on numerous occasions over the past decade been cited for “egregious errors” in its clinical trials, yet the FDA never followed through on its threats to fine, prosecute or disqualify Harris from conducting clinical research in the U.S. According to the report, written by Charles Piller:19
According to Piller, this isn’t a rare case. After reviewing some 1,600 FDA inspection and enforcement documents, Piller’s conclusion is that the “FDA’s enforcement of clinical research regulations is often light-handed, slow-moving, and secretive.”
I recommend reading Piller’s report in its entirety. It’s a sobering read that raises all sorts of questions about drug safety. If a drug trial is riddled with errors, omissions and outright fraud and falsification of documents and data — examples of which are given in Piller’s report — and this research is then used to gain FDA approval, the chances of that drug being harmful can be considerable. Clearly, oversight without follow-up and follow-through when problems are found is about as useful as no oversight at all. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/21/reagan-udall-foundation-for-the-fda.aspx Heartburn is one of the primary symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It feels like a burning sensation behind the breastbone, which can move to the neck and throat. Sometimes you may also taste a sour, bitter fluid, which is the regurgitation of stomach acid from your esophagus.1 Some individuals with GERD may also have other symptoms such as asthma, cough and laryngitis. GERD is a common problem with an increasing prevalence in the general population. Traditionally, the incidence was higher in middle-aged and older adults.2 However, there recently has been a rise in the number of younger people (30 to 39 years) who are seeking medical care for GERD. The severity of heartburn appears to correspond with major life stressors. Researchers have not found that severity increases with fluctuations in mood but rather from sustained stress, which exacerbates heartburn symptoms.3 The current pandemic has raised the stress levels of many people who are filling more antianxiety, antidepressant and anti-insomnia medications than in the same period in 2019. The increase in prescriptions represents a sharp difference from the decline in antianxiety and anti-insomnia medications prescribed from 2015 to 2019.4 The authors of the report noted:
Heartburn Medication Associated With DiabetesLong term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) to control heartburn, such as Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec, has been linked with significant health conditions. The authors of a recent study published in the BMJ journal Gut sought to evaluate the association between regular use of PPIs and Type 2 diabetes.5 They undertook a prospective analysis of 204,689 people enrolled in three ongoing studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study. In this cohort they found 10,105 cases of diabetes. People who regularly took a PPI had a 24% increased risk compared to nonusers. The researchers found that regular use raised an individual's risk of Type 2 diabetes and the risk grew with the length of time an individual took the medication. They concluded that “Physicians should therefore exercise caution when prescribing PPIs, particularly for long-term use.”6 There is evidence that PPIs alter the gut microbiome, which may trigger an association with Type 2 diabetes. In one study of 1,827 healthy twins, researchers found that PPI use was associated with a lower number of gut microbiota and lower microbial diversity.7 Researchers leading a separate study found that oral microbiota were over-represented in fecal microbiomes of people who used PPIs consistent “with changes towards a less healthy gut microbiome.” These changes are also in line with “known changes that predispose to C. difficile infections and can potentially explain the increased risk of enteric infections in PPI users.”8 Additionally, PPIs may increase the risk of “weight gain, chronic liver disease and metabolic syndrome.”9 Each of these conditions can increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes. As pointed out in Medpage Today, there were limitations to the PPI-diabetes study as it was observational and the researchers could not exclude other confounding effects, such as PPI dosage, frequency and brand. Study authors were cited in the Medpage Today article as saying:10
Alternative Over-the-Counter Medications ContaminatedIn addition to prescription PPIs, there are over-the-counter medications for treating heartburn. Two of the medications, Zantac and Axid, have tested positive for the carcinogenic N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) once used in the commercial production of rocket fuel.11 The results from animal testing showed that it significantly increases the risk of cancer, so the chemical is now used only for research purposes. In February 2020, the heartburn drugs and others were recalled due to contamination with NDMA.12,13 Since the compound may be absorbed from the environment, food, tobacco or medications, the FDA established an acceptable intake level of 96 nanograms per day. As a comparison, this is 0.000096 of 1 milligram (mg) and a grain of salt is about 1 mg.14 One lot of recalled high blood pressure medication valsartan tested at 200 times this limit.15 Disturbingly, the authors of a 2019 report in Bloomberg suggested the contamination may have been the result of prioritizing profitability over quality testing and streamlining manufacturing methods.16 However, this isn't the first time carcinogens like NDMA have gotten into the generic drug supply, which raises serious questions about the FDA’s ability to ensure drug safety. As reported by Bloomberg, one of the blood pressure medications contained as much as 17 micrograms per pill, which is estimated by European health regulators to trigger cancer in 1 in every 3,390 people. Disturbingly, a lax FDA approach to inspections that reveal faked quality testing is not unusual. Bloomberg spoke to Michael de la Torre, who runs a database of FDA inspections. According to Torre, in the five years up to 2019, the FDA issued warning letters in response to faked data just 25% of the time. The bottom line is, this exposure resulted largely from a reliance on drugs for a symptomatic bandage that in no way treats the cause of the disease. List of Dangers but No Special Monitoring for Long-Term UseAs I’ve written before, PPIs are linked to several negative health conditions. For example, long term use of proton pump inhibitors encourages bacterial overgrowth in your digestive tract,17 leading to the malabsorption of nutrients linked to inflammation of the stomach wall.18 PPIs also reduce the absorption of magnesium.19 Low magnesium levels can lead to nausea, fatigue, muscle contractions, personality changes and an abnormal heart rhythm.20 By reducing the amount of stomach acid,21 PPIs increase your risk of heartburn, indigestion, bloating, diarrhea and gas. Lowering your stomach acid may also reduce the amount of calcium absorption, which can lead to osteoporosis.22 Research data has linked long-term, dose-dependent use with an increased risk of hip fracture.23 As described in a JAMA article, scientists speculate the rising number of people diagnosed with chronic kidney disease may be attributed to the increased number of people using PPIs.24 Lead author Benjamin Lazarus, from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, comments:25
Your risk of stomach cancer also more than doubles when you take PPIs. Researchers factored in the potential role that infection might play in the development of stomach cancer and found those who took PPIs every day had 4.5 times the risk of stomach cancers as those who took the drug once a week.26 Each of these health conditions are potential long-term risks. However, in a recent study of 86,602 respondents, researchers found people taking a PPI twice a day had four times the risk of those who did not take the drugs.27,28 There are those who are not yet convinced that the use of PPIs comes with dangerous adverse effects. Dr. Daniel Freedberg from Columbia University, who was not involved in the study, spoke with Medpage and called the results “very weak.” Despite mounting scientific evidence that the drugs cause significant and potentially dangerous side effects, Freedberg points out that the medical association that develops clinical guidelines, the American Gastroenterological Association, has not advised monitoring patients using long-term PPIs for adverse side effects and the current study is unlikely to change the status quo.29 What Causes Heartburn?Digestion of your food begins in your mouth as the food is broken into smaller pieces and mixed with saliva. Once in the stomach, food mixes with hydrochloric acid30 and moves into the small intestine. Inside the stomach there is a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter that prevents food or acid from moving back up.31 When this sphincter relaxes inappropriately it allows acid to reflux into the esophagus and burn tissue that cannot withstand the low pH. As I’ve written, in extremely rare situations, acid reflux is caused by an excessive amount of acid in the stomach. However, in the vast majority of cases acid reflux, heartburn and GERD are related to:
Consider this simple test as a rough indicator of how much acid your stomach produces. By finding out if your stomach acid level is low it will help you develop a plan to reduce your chronic pain.
More accurate testing involves taking a stool sample to determine whether you might have an enzyme and/or hydrochloric acid deficiency.37 It could also identify bacterial or fungal imbalances that might contribute to your condition. Steps to Heal GERD and Avoid HeartburnResearch has also shown that both sauerkraut and cabbage juice can stimulate your body to produce stomach acid.38 Using fermented juice from raw sauerkraut before your meal helps to naturally balance and nourish your gut with valuable bacteria and improve your digestion. Reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria not only helps balance your bowel flora but helps reduce or eliminate helicobacter naturally. Fermented foods and high-quality probiotic supplements help achieve these goals. It is important to be aware that lectin-rich foods, such as grains and legumes, are potent enzyme inhibitors.39 This may reduce the function of your digestive system and produce or exacerbate heartburn. Address Heartburn Without Hazardous DrugsIf you're currently taking PPIs, it's vital you do not quit cold turkey. This can result in severe rebound acid hypersecretion.40 Instead, spend time detoxifying and eliminating it from your system by gradually weaning yourself off the drug. Once you are down to the lowest dose, begin substituting the medication with an over the counter H2 blocker, such as cimetidine or Tagamet. After taking the H2 blocker without the PPI for a couple of weeks, you can start weaning from these drugs as well. In the process, begin introducing alternative options to reduce your heartburn. Although heartburn is painful, there are also long-term side effects from the chronic burning in the esophagus, including:41,42
You have options at home to effectively treat heartburn, GERD and indigestion without using hazardous or habit-forming medications. I outline several, some of which will also improve your overall health, in “Heartburn Drugs Increase Mortality — How to Safely Address Indigestion.” from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/21/can-ppis-cause-diabetes.aspx While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes water fluoridation as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, hundreds of studies reveal it’s one of the most harmful public health strategies ever implemented. Among the many researchers who have published damning fluoride studies is Christine Till, Ph.D., an associate professor at York University in Toronto, Canada1 who in 2019 received the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA) for her research into the neurotoxicity of fluoride exposure.2 That same year, she published research3,4 showing maternal fluoride exposure during pregnancy lowered IQ in children. In 2020, Till and her team published another study,5 showing children who were bottle-fed in Canadian fluoridated communities lost up to 9.3 IQ points compared to those in nonfluoridated communities. She’s also listed as a co-author on several other important fluoride studies published in the last five years. Till’s studies are part of hundreds of studies presented as evidence during the landmark fluoridation trial held in federal court in June 2020, reviewed in “Fluoride on Trial,” and are considered some of the strongest evidence against water fluoridation to date. Now, Till is suddenly facing the same “cancel culture” that so many other researchers have faced when they present evidence that challenges industry propaganda and threatens the continuation of a toxic but profitable practice. Pro-Fluoride Group Calls for Independent ProbeAccording to an October 8, 2020, report6 by CTV News, 14 scientists, referring to themselves as an “International Group of Fluoridation Experts,” have written a letter7 to York University’s board of governors, calling for an independent review of Till’s work on fluoridation “to determine whether her ‘ideology is being misrepresented as science.’” The September 21, 2020, letter reads, in part:8
In response to the accusations, Till told CTV News:9
University Defends Scientific Freedom of Its FacultySeptember 29, 2020, York University president Rhonda Lenton issued a public reply10 to the letter, stating:
Till’s Public Statements QuestionedIn addition to questioning Till’s scientific integrity, the group questions the truthfulness of a number of public statements she’s made. That includes the short video featured above, produced by Till and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University11 in Canada. On a side note, Lanphear is also an invited member of the Council of Fellows of the Collegium Ramazzini12 in Italy, an international scientific academy comprised of physicians and scientists that seeks to increase scientific knowledge of the environmental and occupational causes of disease to protect public health. The Collegium Ramazzini collaborates with the Ramazzini Institute,13 a nonprofit social cooperative dedicated to independent scientific research into environmental toxins. You may recall hearing about the Ramazzini Institute in relation to the harms of cellphone radiation — another hotly contested area of research where organizations with vested interests are doing everything they can to smear and dismiss findings showing that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) cause physical harm. Getting back to the video, in it, Till and Lanphear review the history of water fluoridation, research showing fluoride to be toxic to the developing brain, and the implications of an IQ loss of three to five points. As noted in the video, most people have an IQ score between 85 and 115 points. Only 2.5% of children have an IQ above 130, which is considered gifted. Another 2.5% of children have an IQ below 70, which is considered challenged. A mere five points drop in IQ, which doesn’t sound like much, actually results in a whopping 57% increase in the number of children who are intellectually and academically challenged, from 6 million to 9.4 million. There’s also a corresponding decrease in those who are gifted, from 6 million down to 2.4 million, and the overall societal impact of this downward slide is tremendous.
The group also wants the reviewing committee to ascertain whether the video fairly represents Till’s scientific findings, and if not, they call for a “forensic audit into whether public funds meant for research or knowledge translation were used to create the video, and, if so, require those funds to be reimbursed.”15 Why Was Till Singled Out?For now, it doesn’t appear as though York University will comply with the call for an independent probe into Till’s research and public statements about water fluoridation, but it raises the question of why she was targeted in the first place. As it turns out, the attack came on the heels of a lecture she gave in September 2020 at the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee. Till gave her presentation virtually, from Canada. According to a September 30, 2020, article16 by Canadian journalist Tom Blackwell, presenters at the event included “a who’s who of the anti-vaccination and COVID-19 conspiracy-theory movements.” Among the presenters17 receiving “top billing” were Andrew Wakefield, producer of the excellent documentary “1986: The Act,” and Judy Mikovitz, Ph.D., featured in the highly-censored documentary “Plandemic.” Other criticized presenters included Marc Geier and retired chemistry professor Boyd Haley, both of whom have linked vaccines to autism. According to Blackwell, “Till said she didn’t learn who else was presenting until organizers sent her an agenda two weeks before the event.” Blackwell also reports that, in an interview, Till:
Fluoride ResearchAs detailed in “Fluoride on Trial” (hyperlinked above) and many other articles over the past decade, there’s no shortage of scientific evidence showing water fluoridation causes more harm than good. More than 400 animal and human studies have in fact found fluoride is neurotoxic and damages the brain,18 and have been published in some of the most prestigious peer-reviewed journals. The claim that Till’s research conclusions “diverge significantly from current research” therefore doesn’t hold water. What’s more, depositions by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials, which took place in 2018, have also confirmed the agency does not have any safety data on fluoride intake and neurotoxic effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also does not have any safety data on fluoride intake and its effects on the brain. During the fluoride trial against the EPA, which took place in June 2020, Michael Connett, an attorney for the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) who is leading the lawsuit, asked the EPA to identify all studies that demonstrate or support the neurological safety of prenatal fluoride exposure. They produced a single study from 1995, in which the neurotoxicity of sodium fluoride was assessed in rats. Ironically, this study actually shows that neonatal fluoride exposure is neurotoxic, and EPA scientists confirmed that this was indeed the case. So, the only study they could find to support safety is actually showing harm. Aside from the 201919,20 and 202021 studies that Till led, the following also implicate fluoride as a neurotoxin that has no place in communal water supplies:
As early as 2006, the National Research Council (NRC) looked at the toxicology of fluoride, concluding that, based on the studies available at that time, fluoride poses a threat to the brain.31 Studies have also demonstrated that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor32 that suppresses thyroid function,33,34,35 and this too can lower IQ in offspring if the mother has underactive thyroid function during pregnancy. Excessive fluoride exposure also causes dental fluorosis, which in turn increases rates of dental cavities.36,37 This alone should be cause for reconsidering water fluoridation, considering it’s a public health strategy aimed at preventing cavities. The Fight Against Water Fluoridation ContinuesHopefully, FAN’s legal action against the EPA will result in the elimination of fluoride from U.S. water supplies. We still have a ways to go though. As it stands, the judge in the case has asked FAN to allow the EPA to reassess the evidence before he makes a ruling. According to the judge, the EPA has used the wrong standard to assess the evidence (which, incidentally, means the “International Group of Fluoridation Experts” are likely to have made the same mistake when judging the available research). The judge also noted, on the record, that the evidence presented by plaintiffs raises serious questions about the policy to fluoridate water supplies. If the EPA tries to drag out this process, he is prepared to make a ruling based on the evidence presented. So, we still have to wait for the conclusion to this groundbreaking trial but, clearly, we are closer than we’ve ever been to seeing an end to this tragic and unnecessary poisoning of millions of individuals. In the end, researchers like Till may well end up having the last word on the matter. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/20/fluoride-and-brain-development.aspx Buried in the March 17, 2020, Federal Register — the daily journal of the U.S. government — in a document titled, “Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19,”1 is language that establishes a new COVID-19 vaccine court — similar to the federal vaccine court that already exists for injuries and deaths caused by federally recommended vaccines for children and pregnant women. The U.S. vaccine industry operates under a liability shield unlike any other in existence. In most cases, if a product injures or kills a person, its manufacturer can be held accountable in a civil court of law. With FDA-licensed and CDC-recommended vaccines, however, this is not the case. In the U.S., there is a federally operated vaccine injury compensation program (VICP) that Congress created under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., handles contested vaccine injury and death cases in what has become known as "vaccine court." The newly established COVID-19 vaccine court appears largely the same, except instead of focusing on injuries or deaths related to the recommended vaccines for children and pregnant women, it will be centered on those stemming from a new COVID-19 vaccine. Just for Those Injured or Killed by a COVID ‘Countermeasure’Journalist Jon Rappoport highlighted the section in the document, which reveals the establishment of the new COVID vaccine court, which includes compensation for covered “countermeasures” for COVID-19, such as a vaccine:2,3
At face value, it sounds reasonable to establish a way for those who are injured by what will inevitably be a fast-tracked experimental vaccine to be compensated. However, not only will the vaccine makers be shielded from what should be their liability, but compensation will likely be difficult to obtain, as it is in the existing vaccine court. Rappoport wrote:4
Is the Government Expecting Significant Vaccine Injuries?Is the establishment of a preemptive COVID vaccine court a sign that the federal government foresees many lawsuits related to this fast-tracked vaccine in the near future? Rappoport thinks so. “Bottom line,” he says, “the government expects many COVID vaccine injuries. That’s what they aren’t saying. They’re just preparing. With a new vaccine court. To handle injury and death of children and adults. That should not give you a warm secure feeling. Quite the opposite.”5 You may also be interested in “Operation Warp Speed,”6 which is a partnership among U.S. health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense (DoD) and others. Its goal is to produce and deliver 300 million doses of “safe and effective vaccines” with the initial doses being rolled out by January 2021. Operation Warp Speed is part of a broader strategy aimed at accelerating the development, manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, which collectively are known as countermeasures (the same countermeasures referred to in the Federal Register document).7 So far, as part of Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has supplied $456 million in funds for Johnson & Johnson’s candidate vaccine and made available up to $483 million for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and up to $1.2 billion available for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.8 Severe Adverse Events Already Seen With Moderna’s VaccineModerna partnered with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci to create its vaccine. In February 2020, its stock price increased 78.1% when it announced that its messenger RNA vaccine was ready for clinical trials.9 “The company's CEO has become a new billionaire overnight,” wrote Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). It began human trials of its experimental mRNA vaccine in March 2020, and its stock soared again in May, hitting $29 billion, even though the company currently doesn’t sell any products,10 when it released early results from its Phase 1 study of 45 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 — the first released from a study involving human volunteers. Moderna’s press release11 stated that 25 participants who received two doses of its low or medium dose vaccine had levels of binding antibodies — the type that are used by the immune system to fight the virus but do not prevent viral infections — at levels approximating or exceeding those found in the blood of patients who recovered from COVID-19.12 Data for the more significant neutralizing antibodies, which stop viruses from entering cells, was reported for only eight people, with Moderna stating that levels in each of these initial participants met or exceeded antibody levels seen in recovered COVID-19 patients. Four study subjects experienced a “Grade 3” adverse event, which is described by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as “severe or medically significant but not immediately life-threatening; hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization indicated; limiting self-care” such as “bathing, dressing and undressing, feeding self, using the toilet, taking medications.”13 During Phase 2 trials, 600 people will receive the vaccine, while the expanded Phase 3 trial began July 27, 202014 — an unprecedented move in terms of typical vaccine development timelines. Signs of trouble continue to mount, including reports that Moderna has no legal rights to a key patent for its vaccine delivery system, and that company executives have been dumping their stocks. AstraZeneca Halted Vaccine Trials Due to Side EffectsAs part of Operation Warp Speed, AstraZeneca agreed to make available at least 300 million doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine for the U.S., according to HHS, “with the first doses delivered as early as October 2020.”15 A large-scale Phase 3 clinical trial began on August 31, 2020, but was temporarily halted September 8 after “a suspected serious and unexpected adverse reaction” in a British participant.16 The participant reportedly suffered from transverse myelitis, which is inflammation of the spinal cord, and related neurological symptoms.17 Transverse myelitis has previously been linked to vaccination.18 By September 15, 2020, AstraZeneca had resumed clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the U.K.,19 but trials remained on hold in the U.S. as of October 1, where the FDA is investigating the patient’s “unexplained illness.”20 Results from AstraZeneca’s Phase 1 and 2 studies also revealed side effects, including fatigue, headache, malaise, chills and fever, in a significant number of participants:21
The fact that the COVID-19 vaccine was tested against another vaccine instead of a true placebo is also in and of itself problematic, as trying to measure safety of a vaccine against the safety profile of another vaccine that can also cause side effects can yield skewed results. Vaccine Makers Have Nothing to LoseThe expansion of federal vaccine court to include makers of experimental COVID-19 vaccines allows the irresponsible sale and marketing of vaccines that have been poorly tested and formulated because the manufacturers have no liability and "nothing to lose." Ruud Dobber, a senior AstraZeneca member, even told Reuters that fast-tracking a COVID-19 vaccine to market necessitates that makers be shielded from liability:22
As noted, it’s via the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, passed in the U.S. in 2005, that the U.S. has established the new COVID vaccine court, to secure freedom from liability for manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines. Children injured by vaccines are supposed to be able to receive swift and just compensation from the existing federally operated vaccine injury compensation program (VICP) created in 1986 under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. However, this program was gutted by Congressional amendments and by the HHS and Department of Justice under rule making authority within years of the 1986 law's enactment and has only gotten worse over the years, again protecting vaccine manufacturers' interests more than anything else. If and when a COVID-19 vaccine is rolled out, even with all the potential pitfalls remaining — for instance, the vaccines are relying on novel mRNA technology that has never been used in vaccines before23 — be aware that the vaccine makers have nothing to lose by marketing their experimental shots, even if they cause serious injury and death. As Rappoport’s tongue-in-cheek statement suggests:24
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/20/coronavirus-vaccine-injury-court.aspx Andrographis paniculata is a plant that grows throughout much of Asia. It has been traditionally used to treat infectious disease, liver complaints and fever. The adaptogenic herb1 has a bitter taste and is indigenous to China, India and Southeast Asia. It grows from 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) to 110 centimeters (3.6 feet) high and has a square stem and small white flowers.2 Adaptogens are plants that help your body to better handle physical and emotional stress. The plants have been used for hundreds of years in Eastern medicine to influence the body without overstimulating or inhibiting normal function.3 There are 26 formulations using Andrographis with other herbs in traditional Ayurvedic health. The common names are “king of bitters” and chiretta.4 The plant comes from the Acanthaceae family, which are mostly herbs and shrubs.5 Andrographis can be found in combination with other herbs in Kan Jang, Kold Kare, KalmCold and Paractin.6 The active components in Andrographis are diterpenoid lactones, which have anti-inflammatory effects by reducing both nitric oxide production and the expression of cyclooxygenase 2. Researchers have found the plant exhibits multiple effects in humans. Dosing in clinical studies has ranged from 3 to 6 grams per day.7 Slightly higher doses were used in a trial with patients who had HIV, but it was discontinued when participants had adverse reactions.8 The Healing Strength of AndrographisBitter flavors are often the least appreciated and the least likely to be used in cooking. Yet, many of the bitter herbs and spices add valuable benefits to your overall health. According to the authors of a paper in the European Journal of Herbal Medicine:9
Typically, insects and mammals avoid bitter-tasting plants. One hypothesis is they have learned to correlate bitter taste with toxicity. Andrographis compounds and extract have been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and hepato-renal protective properties.10 It may be among the more popular medicinal plants to treat a variety of diseases across Asia, America and the African continents. The bioactive ingredient is a diterpene, called andrographolide.11 There have been a number of studies conducted to evaluate the toxicity of Andrographis, but none has demonstrated acute toxicity in experiments involving animals.12 In much the same way that the bitter compounds can help protect plants from insects, they may also help your body by inhibiting microbial growth, inflammation and oxidation. These are some of the benefits researchers have discovered:
Bitters and Your Gastrointestinal TractThe stimulating effect on your digestive system is caused by what's known as the “bitter reflex.” When you eat something bitter, your body releases gastrin. This hormone supports and strengthens digestive function by stimulating the secretion of saliva, hydrochloric acid, pepsin and intrinsic factor.34 Intrinsic factor is required by your body for the absorption of vitamin B12.35 The reflex also triggers your appetite and prepares your body for eating by triggering contractions in your intestines. It stimulates the flow of bile, which improves digestion and helps prevent the accumulation of waste in your liver. It also stimulates cell repair in the pancreas and intestinal wall. When the integrity of the intestinal wall is compromised, it allows leakage of substances such as undigested food, bacteria and metabolic waste to enter your bloodstream. This is called leaky gut syndrome, which increases the inflammatory process in your body. The action from the bitter reflex begins when you taste bitter on your tongue. According to the European Journal of Herbal Medicine, bypassing your taste receptors by taking bitters in capsule form will “render it virtually useless.”36 How to Add Bitters to Your RoutineHistorically, people used bitters approximately 30 minutes before mealtime to stimulate the appetite and get the gastrointestinal tract ready to eat. There are commercially available bitter tinctures that basically concentrate extracts in an alcohol base. Another option is to add bitter greens to your salads and to eat your salad first. These may include chicory, dandelion, arugula, radicchio, endive and burdock. This helps take advantage of the bitter reflex during meals. While Andrographis is generally safe when it's taken as directed, bitters should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, those with depressed metabolism, chronic respiratory congestion or a serious erosive or ulcerative condition in the gastrointestinal tract.37 In clinical trials, there have been few adverse reactions noted. However, side effects have been recorded using andrographolide, including headache, rash, diarrhea, pruritus and a lowered sex drive.38 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/19/andrographis-herb-healing-powers.aspx 1 Which public figure recently contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection and was treated with two experimental drugs, Gilead's remdesivir and Regeneron's REGN-COV2?
2 A September 2020 meta-analysis concluded there is a significant relationship between autism and which of the following?
3 Mounting evidence suggest immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection among the global population may be around:
4 A pandemic may trigger panic buying and hoarding, in part, due to a:
5 Which of the following has been shown to have a direct antiviral effect on SARS-CoV-2, effectively blocking viral replication in vitro?
6 Which of the following statements is true?
7 The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/19/week-152-health-quiz.aspx According to a June 2020 research paper,1 melatonin2,3 may be an important adjunct to COVID-19 treatment. Incidentally, while not emphasized, melatonin is an optional addition to the highly effective MATH+ protocol promoted by the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Working Group (FLCCC).4 President Trump's COVID-19 treatment was also said to include melatonin supplementation. The authors note that melatonin attenuates several pathological features of the illness, including excessive inflammation, oxidation and an exaggerated immune response resulting in a cytokine storm and acute lung injury (ALI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and, potentially, death.
One of the things that makes melatonin so effective is that it doesn't just act as an antioxidant in and of itself; it also interacts with your body's innate antioxidant system where it recharges glutathione.6 High-Dose Melatonin Successfully Treats COVID-19A recent case series7 published in the journal Melatonin Research details how patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia who were given high-dose melatonin as an adjunct therapy to standard of care all improved within four to five days, and all survived. On average, those given melatonin were discharged from the hospital after 7.3 days, compared to 13 days for those who did not get melatonin. This is far better than the expensive treatment remdesivir, which costs over $3,000 and doesn't produce anywhere near this improvement. However, the patients were given very large doses of melatonin, 36 mg to 72 mg per day in four divided doses. When used for sleep, you'd typically start with a dose of 0.25 mg and work your way up as needed. Dr. Richard Neel and colleagues at Little Alsace and Uvalde Urgent Care clinics in Texas are also using high-dose melatonin in combination with vitamin C and vitamin D, and had as of the last week of July 2020 successfully treated more than 400 patients.8 "I knew that nothing would work for everyone, but it is working for the majority. It is amazing what melatonin is doing for most patients," Neel told Kayleen Holder, editor of Devine News.9 Melatonin Inhibits COVID-19-Induced Cytokine StormAnother paper,10 published in June 2020 in the journal Medical Drug Discoveries describes the mechanics by which melatonin inhibits the cytokine storm associated with critical SARS-CoV-2 infection. As explained by the authors:11
Melatonin Plays Important Roles in Mitochondrial FunctionImportantly, the Medical Drug Discoveries paper points out that while melatonin was initially thought to be exclusively synthesized in the pineal gland, researchers have now demonstrated that it is actually synthesized in mitochondria, which means melatonin production occurs in most cells, including human lung monocytes and macrophages. For those of you who might be familiar with melatonin, this is quite surprising as it has been commonly accepted for the past 50 years that the sole source of melatonin was the pineal gland. This is quite an amazing breakthrough to find out it is actually produced in the mitochondria, which are in every cell in your body except your red blood cells. In healthy cells, melatonin synthesis in mitochondria occurs when the glucose metabolite pyruvate enters the mitochondria. Glucose is a six-carbon molecule and is divided into two three-carbon molecules of pyruvate. Once the pyruvate is inside the mitochondria, it is subsequently metabolized into acetyl-coenzyme A. Presumably, a low-carb, high-fat diet that produces large amounts of ketones should provide similar benefits as the ketones are directly metabolized to acetyl-coenzyme A. As explained in the Medical Drug Discoveries paper:12
Other research, including a Frontiers of Bioscience paper13 published in 2007, has pointed out that melatonin helps prevent mitochondrial impairment, energy failure and apoptosis (programmed cell death) in mitochondria damaged by oxidation. Melatonin may even help regulate gene expression via certain enzymes,14 and helps regulate autophagy in certain pathological conditions.15 According to the authors, "Most of the beneficial consequences resulting from melatonin administration may depend on its effects on mitochondrial physiology."16 Melatonin Protects Against SepsisSepsis (blood poisoning) is another common outcome of an unhealthy immune response to infection, and melatonin may play an important role in preventing this as well. Evidence for this can be found in a Journal of Critical Care paper17 published in 2010. According to the authors:18
In summary, melatonin appears to reverse septic shock symptoms by:19
More recently, a 2019 animal study20 in the journal Frontiers in Immunology details how melatonin can protect against polymicrobial sepsis, i.e., sepsis caused by more than one microbial organism. A hallmark of polymicrobial sepsis is severe loss of lymphocytes through apoptosis, resulting in a twofold higher lethality than unimicrobial sepsis (sepsis caused by a single microbe).21 In this case, melatonin appears to offer protection by having an antibacterial effect on white blood cells called neutrophils. A high neutrophil count is an indicator for infection. According to the authors of the 2019 study:22
Melatonin's Antiviral EffectsThe scientific review paper,23 "Melatonin Potentials Against Viral Infections Including COVID-19: Current Evidence and New Findings," published October 2020 in the Virus Research journal, also summarizes the many potential mechanisms by which melatonin can protect against and ameliorate viral infections. The authors review research looking at melatonin's beneficial effects against a variety of viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, viral hepatitis, viral myocarditis, Ebola, West Nile virus and dengue virus. Based on these collective findings, they believe melatonin may offer similar protection against SARS-CoV-2. One mechanistic basis for this relates to melatonin's effects on p21-activated kinases (PAKs), a family of serine and threonine kinases. They explain:24
Melatonin Combats COVID-19 in Several WaysIn summary, "Melatonin Potentials Against Viral Infections Including COVID-19: Current Evidence and New Findings" and other research referenced in the list below suggests melatonin may play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection by:25
Melatonin — A Possible Vaccine Adjuvant?Lastly, "Melatonin Potentials Against Viral Infections Including COVID-19: Current Evidence and New Findings" discusses the potential of using melatonin as a vaccine adjuvant, nothing that:29
Melatonin Works Synergistically With Vitamin DInterestingly, a paper30 published in the May 2020 issue of The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology stresses the synergistic effects between melatonin and vitamin D. Not only does melatonin enhance vitamin D signaling, the two molecules act synergistically to optimize your mitochondrial function. I've written many articles detailing the importance of vitamin D optimization to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and more serious COVID-19 illness. The evidence for this is frankly overwhelming, and raising vitamin D levels among the general population may be one of the most important prevention strategies available to us. To learn more, please download my vitamin D report, available for free on stopcovidcold.com. According to the authors of this May 2020 paper:31
Simple Ways to Optimize Your Melatonin and Vitamin DWhile there are likely many benefits to supplementing with oral vitamin D3 and melatonin, it makes no sense to do so unless you also optimize your body's own production. The good news is it's relatively simple and inexpensive to increase your melatonin and vitamin D levels. To optimize your vitamin D, I recommend getting sensible sun exposure on large portions of your body on a regular basis, ideally daily. For further guidance, see "The Risks and Benefits of Sun Exposure." If for whatever reason you cannot get sufficient amounts of sun exposure, consider taking a vitamin D3 supplement (along with a little extra vitamin K2 to maintain a healthy ratio between these two nutrients, and magnesium to optimize vitamin D conversion). I personally have not taken any oral vitamin D for well over 10 years and my levels are typically over 70 ng/mL, even in the winter, but I have started taking sublingual melatonin as I am now older than 65, even though I sleep in pitch dark and get bright sun exposure around 85% of the time during the day. Optimizing your melatonin production starts with getting plenty of bright sunlight during the day, as this helps "set" your circadian clock. Then, as the evening wears on and the sun sets, you'll want to avoid bright lighting. Blue light from electronic screens and LED light bulbs is particularly problematic and inhibits melatonin the most. If you need lighting, opt for incandescent light bulbs, candles or salt lamps. The blue light from electronic screens can be counteracted by installing blue-blocking software such as Iris,32 or wearing blue-blocking glasses. My decision to personally use melatonin supplementation makes even more sense now that we understand that melatonin is not only produced in the pineal gland (which would benefit from circadian optimization), but also in our mitochondria. So, it appears that additional melatonin could serve as a useful adjunct in modulating your immune response. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/19/high-dose-melatonin-benefits.aspx In this interview, social justice and anti-GMO advocate Vandana Shiva, Ph.D., discusses her book, "Oneness Vs. the 1%: Shattering Illusions, Seeding Freedom," which she co-wrote with her son, in which she argues that the ultra-wealthy elite are responsible for a majority of the environmental, financial and health crises currently facing us. In reality, it's really about the 0.001% — the small number of billionaires and centibillionaires who have become ultra-rich over the past 30 years or so. Most of them didn't exist before globalization. The 1% is just a useful metaphor for the ruling elite that the publisher thought would be easier to communicate. One of the key players is, no surprise, Bill Gates, whose wealth and "philanthropic" efforts have garnered him unprecedented influence over agriculture and global health policies that threaten food security and human health.
The Ongoing Transfer of WealthOne of the "solutions" to climate change offered by this billionaire club was geoengineering, which in reality is no solution at all. As noted by Shiva, if the climate is already changing for the worse, engineering temperatures, deflecting sunlight, dumping iron fillings on the ocean and chemicals in the sky, and creating artificial volcanoes, you're simply creating additional problems without solving the original one. At the end of the August 2020 update of the book, she also discusses COVID-19, and how this engineered pandemic has catalyzed the transfer of wealth to the rich. While global lockdowns have decimated small businesses and left many to struggle financially, the rich have amassed fantastic profits.
The eight-minute video below provides a sobering summary of the massive wealth transfer that has occurred in 2020 thanks to pandemic lockdowns, during which small businesses were forced to close while giant multinational companies were allowed to stay open and thereby monopolize the market. The end result is the largest transfer of wealth in modern history. The End of DemocracyShiva goes on to review how India mobilized against Walmart's encroachment, which threatened to destroy local businesses. The COVID-19 lockdowns, however, have prevented the same kind of mobilization against the tech and retail giants. As local businesses around the world have had to close their doors for months on end, Amazon.com's power has exploded. Amazon is even encroaching on grocery suppliers.
In India, they recently eliminated all labor laws, and they're trying to remove the Farmers' Rights Act, as well as environmental laws. This is what allows for the transfer of wealth to happen, Shiva says. The End GameAs explained by Shiva, all of these companies are essentially rent collectors. Facebook turns our minds into a raw material that is then capitalized upon. "Gates is particularly vicious because through the Gates Foundation, he pretends to be doing philanthropy," she says. But with every philanthropic endeavor, he carves out new colonies from which he can collect new rents and make new investments. "That's why no matter how much he gives, he gets richer and richer," Shiva says. "A genuine giver would get poorer." In her book, she explains how, without Gates, there would be no commercial gene editing, for example, which is the new GMO. He created a company called Editas Medicine Inc. to facilitate the patenting of these new climate-resilient plants, with which they aim to create new medicines. "He will do biofortification to solve the nutrition problem. He is particularly vicious," she says. As for what the ultimate goal might be, Shiva says:
The Global MergerThey also want to merge all of these various industries together — agriculture, technology and finance. Shiva recounts how, in 2016, India banned all cash and made digital transactions compulsory. In short order, "90% of poor people lost their savings, their incomes," she says, as small, local economies evaporated. Meanwhile, the wealthy elites also control the world's economy via their asset funds.
As noted by Shiva, while Big Biotech claims GMOs will save your health and protect the planet, these pesticide-laden plants are in fact doing the complete opposite. We Are the ThrowawaysThere's also the issue of social justice. She cites Gandhi, who said that if you're in doubt about what the right thing to do is, "bring the face of the most vulnerable person to your mind's eye and do what is good for them." If you think it will harm them more, don't do it.
The Great Economic ResetNone of these things is coming out of left field. They've been carefully planned for many decades. We now see clear evidence that a "great economic reset" is in the works, which will transition everything over to digital currencies. As noted by Shiva, the industrial revolution shifted our mindset to one where we thought of nature as dead. The result was ecological destruction and the fragmentation of society. The coming economic reset is basically part of an effort to further manipulate and shift our mental framework toward something wholly unnatural. Shiva says:
More InformationTo learn more, please listen to the interview in its entirety, and be sure to pick up a copy of "Oneness Vs. the 1%: Shattering Illusions, Seeding Freedom." You can also find more details about Shiva's work on Navdanya.org.
I agree with Shiva when she says that rather than allowing COVID-19 fear-mongering take over our lives, we need to look at the infrastructures of life, humanity, democracy, economy and taxation, "and start thinking about who's taking them away from us."
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/18/vandana-shiva-oneness-versus-the-1.aspx Dr. Mercola Interviews the Experts This article is part of a weekly series in which Dr. Mercola interviews various experts on a variety of health issues. To see more expert interviews, click here. While SARS-CoV-2 is a rampant virus that can cause severe problems in vulnerable individuals, the real pandemic — meaning the underlying cause that makes people susceptible to complications from the infection in the first place — is metabolic inflexibility or insulin resistance. In this interview, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist and author of “The 21 Day Immunity Plan,” delves into the specifics and explains the role insulin resistance plays in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Obesity Is a Significant COVID-19 Risk FactorAside from old age, obesity has been identified as one of the primary risk factors for being hospitalized with COVID-19 — doubling the risk of hospitalization in patients under the age of 60 in one study1 — even if the individual has no other obesity-related health problems. A French study2,3 also found obese patients treated for COVID-19 were more likely to require mechanical ventilation. One hypothesis for why obesity is worsening COVID-19 has to do with the fact that obesity causes chronic inflammation.4 Having more proinflammatory cytokines in circulation increases your risk of experiencing a cytokine storm. A cytokine storm response is typically the reason why people die from infections, be it the seasonal flu, Ebola, urinary tract infection or COVID-19. Obesity also makes you more vulnerable to infectious diseases by lowering your immune function.5,6,7,8,9,10 Insulin Resistance Augments Infection RisksObesity is often rooted in insulin resistance, brought on by a flawed diet, and insulin resistance is another top risk factor for COVID-19 that worsens outcomes and increases your risk of death. An April 15, 2020, article11 in The Scientist reviews evidence12,13 showing how higher blood glucose levels impact viral replication and the development of cytokine storms. While the research in question looked at influenza A-induced cytokine storms, these findings may well be applicable in COVID-19 as well. In a Science Advances press release, co-author Shi Liu stated:14
COVID-19 Risk Factors Can Be Rapidly AmelioratedThe good news, as Malhotra stresses, is that the lifestyle factors that make you more prone to severe COVID-19 infection and death can be modified and ameliorated in as little as 21 days, simply by changing your diet. Like me, Malhotra feels this has been sorely missing from pandemic response messaging.
To fill the information gap, Malhotra began writing. Initially, he wrote a series of articles for British newspapers. He also got the opportunity to speak about this on Sky News.
As more data became available, Malhotra’s writings turned into “The 21 Day Immunity Plan.” Malhotra also had the opportunity to share information with the U.K. Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, and by the time the book was finished, Prime Minister Boris Johnson came out saying something needs to be done, on a policy level, about the obesity epidemic. That said, we don’t have to have government policies in place to personally implement these lifestyle strategies. The information is available. It’s well-documented, noncontroversial and relatively simple to do. Surprisingly, Malhotra’s message has been largely well-received, and hasn’t been censored to the extent that many others have. Unfortunately, we’re still fighting against a tsunami of dietary misinformation and false advertising on a daily basis, which makes it difficult to really get this message out and make it stick. “If every day the government was putting out a message saying, ‘Metabolic health is the key,’ then we would have a really big impact,” Malhotra says. Most People Have Poor Metabolic HealthThe central thesis of Malhotra’s book is that we have a pandemic of metabolic inflexibility or metabolic ill health. There are five primary parameters of metabolic ill health, which include having:
If you have all of those five parameters within the normal ranges, you are in good metabolic health. Having three or more abnormal parameters is indicative of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic inflexibility can further be divided into two primary subsets, namely: 1. Insulin resistance, signs of which typically include high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high cholesterol, obesity and other variables connected with that. In the U.S., NHANES data15 published in 2016 reveal 87.8% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy, based on five parameters. That data is over four years old now, so the figure is likely greater than 90% of the population today. According to a January 2019 update by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 122 million American adults have diabetes or prediabetes16 — conditions which have been shown to increase your chances of contracting and even dying from COVID-1917,18,19,20,21,22 2. Vitamin D deficiency Metabolic Syndrome Triples COVID-19 Fatality RiskMalhotra notes:
The bottom line is you need to have the five metabolic parameters listed above within the normal ranges, and you need an optimal blood level of vitamin D, which is now thought to be between 40 ng/mL and 60 ng/mL.
How to Improve Your Metabolic HealthSo, just how do you improve those five metabolic parameters? Malhotra addresses this in his book, of course. In summary, to optimize your metabolic health and reverse metabolic syndrome, you’ll want to: • Limit or eliminate foods that promote insulin resistance -- Topping this list are processed foods high in industrial seed oils, added sugars and refined carbohydrates (i.e., bread, pasta and white rice).
As explained in my interview with Dr. Chris Knobbe, industrially processed seed oils such as canola, corn and soy oil (most of which are also genetically engineered) appear to be at the heart of most if not all chronic diseases of the modern world. Evidence suggests they may be an even greater health threat than added sugar. Malhotra has also addressed this issue in his book, “The Pioppi Diet,”23 published in 2017. Aside from more direct harms, one of the ways in which these oils undermine your health is by skewing your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, as they’re excessively high in omega-6 linoleic acid. When used in cooking, they also produce toxic, carcinogenic aldehydes. In lieu of seed oils, use healthy saturated fats such as coconut oil, grassfed butter, organic ghee or lard. • Be more physically active -- This too can ameliorate and reduce metabolic disease risk markers. Just be mindful not to go overboard, as excessive exercise will actually lower your immune function and put you at increased risk of respiratory infections. • Optimize your sleep. • Reduce your stress. As noted by Malhotra:
Time-Restricted Eating Schedule Boosts Metabolic HealthIn his book, Malhotra also recommends implementing a time-restricted eating schedule or intermittent fasting where you limit your eating to a window of, ideally, six to eight hours a day.
More InformationTo learn more, be sure to pick up a copy of Malhotra’s book, “The 21 Day Immunity Plan.” It’s an easy read that emphasizes and summarizes the core lifestyle basics you need to understand and apply to improve your metabolic health, which in turn will reduce your risk of complications should you come down with symptomatic COVID-19 illness. Social Media info for Dr. Malhotra can be found on his site at doctoraseem.com. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/18/why-is-metabolic-inflexibility-problematic.aspx |
Nia Pure NatureThe Provider of premium Quality Health Products To Live Better Lives Archives
March 2022
Categories |