It is estimated that 7.1% of the adult population in the U.S. experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2017. The highest rates are among those ages 18 to 25 years. Many people believe depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. This is a theory that has been widely promoted by drug companies and psychiatrists, to the point it is now accepted as fact. However, this is just a theory and, worse, it's a theory that has been largely discredited. The idea spread quickly after it was proposed in the 1960s when it appeared antidepressant drugs altered brain chemicals. In the 1980s, Prozac (fluoxetine) was released by Eli Lilly and heavily promoted to balance brain chemicals and affect depression. Prozac had fewer side effects than some of the earlier antidepressants and soon became the poster child for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressants. However, while heavily prescribed, data repeatedly showed SSRIs worked no better than placebos for those experiencing mild to moderate depression. Although antidepressants don't effectively treat depression, they do double the risk of harm from suicide and violence in healthy adults and increase aggression in children and adolescents. Researchers also suggest major depression could be vastly overdiagnosed and overtreated with antidepressants. The majority who are prescribed these drugs end up staying on them long-term, which may compromise their health. More Studies Link Depression to InflammationResearchers have found yet another link between inflammation and depression. In one study1 published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, researchers systematically reviewed the safety and effectiveness of anti-inflammatory agents in people suffering with major depression. The literature review included results from 30 randomized control trials with a 1,610 participants. In an overall analysis of 26 studies, the researchers found anti-inflammatory agents reduced depressive disorder when compared with placebo. They found no differences in quality of life analysis but did find gastrointestinal event differences between the treatment periods. A subanalysis of the data demonstrated an adjunctive treatment with antidepressants with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, omega-3 FAs and minocycline significantly reduced depressive symptoms.2 Results from another large metanalysis3 carried out by researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark revealed similar findings, showing anti-inflammatories may be effective in the treatment of depression. One researcher explains the study showed the combination of anti-inflammatory drugs along with antidepressants have beneficial effects. The results also showed the effect against depression was present when the anti-inflammatory medication was used alone, compared against a placebo. The scientists analyzed 36 international studies of participants who suffered from depression or who had symptoms of depression. One of the researchers, Dr. Ole Köhler-Forsberg, commented on the results of the study:4
Yet in another recently published study in Molecular Psychiatry5 scientists found patients treated with immunotherapeutics for inflammatory disorders, who also presented with depression or depressive symptoms, experienced symptomatic relief. The team found the reduction in depressive symptoms was not associated with any treatment-related changes in their physical health. Immune Dysregulation May Trigger Allergic-Type ReactionThere has been an increasing number of studies in which depression is reported to be linked to immune dysregulation and inflammation, mimicking an allergic reaction.6 Your body uses inflammation as a defense mechanism to an attack. A localized, infected wound demonstrates an isolated inflammatory response as it turns red and sore. Inflammation is also triggered by stress and physical trauma; inflammation in turn triggers depression. This is related to response to the release of cytokines, which are small protein cells the body uses to help with the response. This information may ultimately influence emotions and how you feel. By affecting the quality of your sleep, metabolism and stress responses, inflammation may create a biological environment triggering depressive symptoms. The findings from these studies have contributed to a mounting body of evidence that inflammation may be a biochemical route of mental health symptoms. Thus, it may provide another nonpharmacological route for treating those who suffer with depression. Köhler-Forsberg and colleagues are interested in a pharmacological response, and he points out:7
Mental Health Screening May Overlook Contributing FactorsPhysicians commonly use mental health screening tests to determine how best to treat depressive symptoms. The use of these screening tests is only as good as the physician administering them to analyze the data and how you feel when you enter the doctor's office. In one 2013 study, an evaluation of 5,639 participants identified by their clinician as suffering with depression, researchers found only 38.4% met the DSM-4 criteria for a major depressive episode. In speaking to The New York Times, one of the researchers pointed out that not only are physicians prescribing more medications, but patients are demanding more as well. He points out Americans have become used to using drugs to address the stresses of daily life that may trigger short-term situational sadness. Mental health screening tests do not often consider vitamin deficiencies, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, lack of sleep or inflammation. Antidepressant Use Doubled in SeniorsIn the 2013 study evaluating participants who were prescribed antidepressants by their physician, a mere 14.3% of those over age 65 met the DSM-4 criteria for a major depressive episode. To investigate whether the number of antidepressant drugs prescribed to seniors had risen, another team of researchers looked at data from 1991 to 1993. They compared this against data gathered from studies occurring from 2008 to 2011. During the early period, 4.2% of adults were taking antidepressants. This number more than doubled to 10.7% during the later period. The rate of antidepressant use in older adults living in care homes in the English population cohort studies also rose, from 7.4% to 29.2%. A study published in 2017 reviewed data from 1990 to 2015 gathered from Australia, Canada, England and the U.S. In this report it was noted that the prevalence of disorders and symptoms had not decreased despite an increase in the prescription of antidepressants. In seniors, depression is associated with cognitive decline, dementia and poor medical outcomes. Those with depression also experience higher rates of suicide and mortality. Guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association suggest antidepressant medication with psychotherapy in the elderly. But, despite the increased risks with antidepressants, most seniors receive only medication. Treatment with antidepressant drugs in seniors increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, which increases the risk of other comorbid health conditions including heart disease and stroke. The drugs are also linked to the development of thicker arteries and dementia. In addition, depending on the classification of drug, they are known to reduce several nutrients, including coenzyme Q10, vitamin B12, calcium and folate. Of concern in the elderly is the risk of osteoporosis and fractures associated with antidepressant medications. One 2015 study compared women treated with indigestion drugs against those treated with SSRIs and found a 76% increased rate of fracture in the first year in those taking antidepressants. When these risks are combined with the knowledge the drugs work no better than placebo for mild to moderate depression, seniors may experience greater risk than any benefit they receive. Consider Nonpharmacological Options to Reduce DepressionReducing the inflammatory response in your body is crucial as it is a root cause of many chronic conditions, including depression. In addition to strategies to reduce inflammation, there are other approaches with a history of improving symptoms. As you consider the following nonpharmacological suggestions, remember you don't have to do them all at once, and you can accomplish them no matter your age or current physical abilities. Begin the journey to better health taking small, permanent steps. • Exercise -- Exercise normalizes your insulin and leptin sensitivity and has a significant effect on kynurenine, a neurotoxic stress chemical produced from the amino acid tryptophan; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor regulating neuroplasticity and new growth of neurons and your endocannabinoid system, all of which • Nutrition -- There are several nutritional factors that affect your mood and emotions, not the least of which is eating too much sugar. Excessive amounts of sugar disrupt your leptin and insulin sensitivity, affect dopamine levels and damage your mitochondria, all of which affect your mood. Nutrients such as omega-3 fats, magnesium, vitamin D and the B vitamins each influence your mood and brain health. You may experience the beneficial effects of boosting these nutrients to optimal levels in as little as two weeks. • Light therapy -- Light therapy is an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, and researchers8 find it is also effective against moderate to severe depression. Participants simply used a white light box for 30 minutes each day as soon as possible after waking up. • Mindful meditation or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) -- In a study9 of 30 moderately to severely depressed college students, the depressed students were given four 90-minute EFT sessions. Students who received EFT showed significantly less depression than the control group when evaluated three weeks later. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/26/lowering-inflammation-may-help-depression.aspx
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One of the primary roles of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is to review the safety and efficacy of drugs before they are sold on the U.S. market. In 2016, The BMJ1 suggested a strong conflict of interest when they wrote about a revolving door existing between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry. In pursuit of monetary gain, this relationship places the health of Americans at risk. Although these ties have been revealed in the past, two researchers from Oregon Health and Science University suggested many of the medical reviewers at the FDA go on to work for drug companies.2 They found that of the 55 who had worked as hematology oncology medical reviewers for the FDA from 2001 to 2010, 15 had gone on to work with or consult in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in the FDA, one agency reports3 that in 2018 alone, $9.35 billion was spent on educating and entertaining doctors — that’s more than double the 2013 figure of $4.34 billion. Big Pharma also keeps a hand in research to ensure their drugs are approved. For instance, when there are significant or severe forms of clinical trial violations in research using human participants, these are classified as an official action indicated, or OAI. In a review4 of FDA inspection reports from 1998 to 2013, researchers found 60 clinical trials classified as OAI used for data in 78 published articles. Of those, only three mentioned violations found by the FDA including fraud, incompetence and misconduct. In other words, anyone using medical journal data to make decisions may find those decisions are based on fraudulent or heavily flawed published studies. BMJ Calls for Accurate Research to Back Medical PracticeThe BMJ launched a global initiative calling for a reduction in the commercial influence in health care moving toward transparency. In a press release published at the same time as the first article in the collection,5 BMJ’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Fiona Godlee, said:6
The journal plans to add more content to the collection to further understanding of the conflict of interest between commercial Industries and medical decisions.7 They brought together experts from eight nations in medicine, law and philosophy to propose fundamental cultural changes with the intention of moving away from commercial influence and closer toward independence. In trying to balance overtesting, overdiagnosis and overtreatment against necessary procedures for diagnosis, the experts want to ensure dissemination of valid evidence “conducted as independently as possible from industries profiting from their use.” They go on to say:8
As such, the group is calling for governments to pass legislation requiring disclosure when medical reviewers are paid by the manufacturers. In addition, they bring attention to countries like Norway that have moved away from acknowledging physicians’ attendance at industry-sponsored events, when it comes to earning continuing educational credits. Case in Point: Johnson & Johnson Liable for DamagesThe idea that industry-funded studies affect medical decisions is not news.9 The number of clinical studies supported by companies that make a profit from the results is only growing. One example is Johnson & Johnson, the company that sold pelvic mesh to thousands of Australian women while knowing it could be harmful and without warning the women or physicians of the risks. More than 1,350 women from Australia won a class action suit in November 2019 against Johnson & Johnson for misleading information about the risks of the pelvic mesh implants. The implants were sold by a subsidiary, Ethicon, which is charged with being negligent. In addition to the Australian suit, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $117 million settlement to resolve lawsuits about the pelvic mesh implants in 41 U.S. states. The same company was ordered to pay Oklahoma in a judgment in which the state argued Johnson & Johnson was a “kingpin” in the opioid crisis. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter specifically identified two subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson that provided the majority of the raw opium used by Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers to produce the drugs for the past two decades.10 The women who had the pelvic mesh implanted for treatment of urinary incontinence testified to chronic pain, severe discomfort and bleeding during sex after having the implant. In the ruling against Johnson & Johnson in Australia, judge Anna Katzmann said:11
Big Pharma Identified a Path to ProfitsThe history of the relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies began in the early 1900s when the Carnegie Foundation contributed to the suppression of homeopathic practitioners. The infamous Flexner Report gave homeopathic colleges a poor rating based in part on the school offering courses in pharmacology, which the American Medical Association did not consider worthwhile at the time. Over time, the AMA and Big Pharma came to an understanding and relationship that has linked them ever since. While it may have seemed a logical step in the beginning, it has proven to be disastrous for health. For instance,12 from 2011 to 2015, the pharmaceutical industry dropped more than $286 million on events attended by Australian clinicians. Some received free travel and lodging for overseas conferences. This increases the likelihood a practitioner will prescribe the company's drugs. Although doctors have disputed this, a ProPublica analysis13 found doctors prescribed more drugs after receiving payments. The analysis shows an association and confirms the prevailing perception of a relationship between financial gifts and brand-name prescriptions. In the wake of a call for transparency and independence from industry-funded research from the BMJ, Dr. Chris Moy, chair of the Australian Medical Association ethics and medico-legal committee voiced concern this may lead to a lack of funding.14
The Tale of Two Journals: NEJM Partners With Big PharmaAs The BMJ fights for transparency to protect consumer health, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) appears to have taken the opposite tack. In 2015, there appeared three articles written by the same author, Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum,15,16,17 in which the journal appeared to shift its support in favor of closer ties between the pharmaceutical industry and the field of medicine. February 7, 2019, the journal published two industry-funded studies examining omadacycline as an antibiotic for treatment in community-acquired pneumonia18 or soft tissue infection.19 In a description of the methods and analysis in the study on soft tissue infection, the authors wrote of Paratek, manufacturer of omadacycline:20
The study used a noninferiority trial design21 in which an experimental treatment is tested against an active control and approved treatment in use. Noninferiority trials are used when assigning patients to a placebo is unethical. One analysis of the studies came to this conclusion:22
Further analysis of two more studies published on the same date revealed more holes in the studies, bending the results toward prescribing medications that were likely as effective as those currently being sold. The analysis finished with this conclusion:23
Reduce Your Use of Big Pharma ProductsPharmaceutical companies have a history of altering information to perpetuate their own financial gain. Purdue Pharmaceutical’s Project Tango is only one example of a company that sought to take advantage of an epidemic they helped create by promoting a program to provide an addictive opioid and then the cure, essentially becoming an “end-to-end” provider. The industry produces 55% more air pollution than the auto industry, despite being 28% smaller. Massive amounts of waste are also entering waterways near manufacturing plants, contributing to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Seek to make lifestyle choices that will reduce your dependence on drugs. Consider the information in the following articles to help guide your choices for nutrition, exercise and sleep, three foundational pillars to good health.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/26/bmj-says-big-pharma-distorting-evidence.aspx Christmas Day is a time for family, friends and others who have touched our lives deeply. On this day, I hope you are sharing in the joy of the season with loved ones, and I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for subscribers like you, who help, support and share our vision for a naturally healthier, happier world, every day of the year. Mercola.com seeks to be your trusted source of reliable and accurate health information, supported by the best available science. But it is only because of you, our family of subscribers, that our influence has spread not only in the United States, but in other countries as well — now translated into nine languages and serving some 12.25 million unique visitors each month. It is my sincere hope that, with our continuous service, you will stay motivated to take control of your health, and help others do the same. It's a sad fact that medical and health truth can take years, and frequently decades, before gaining widespread recognition. By shedding light on important findings, I aim to give you a significant head start, and to arm you with the information you need to avoid becoming yet another tragic statistic. With every article you read here, you build your knowledge base of how to address the roots of disease before it even starts. Within your own sphere of influence, you have the power to help others preserve and enhance their health by sharing these health tips, and we know that many of you eagerly do. Enjoy One of My All-Time Favorite Movies: 'It's a Wonderful Life'Released in 1946, "It's a Wonderful Life" still captures the hearts of new viewers seven decades later — a testament to its quality, even though it was a box office failure at the time of its debut. Perhaps it's because it's such a wonderful metaphor for your power to change the world that it has stood the test of time. It's one of my personal all-time favorites. In the film, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) spends his entire life giving up his big dreams for the good of his town, Bedford Falls. But come one Christmas Eve, he is dismayed and suicidal over a misplaced bank deposit and the plotting of the evil millionaire, Mr. Henry Potter, who wants to take over the town. Just when George's spirit is about to be broken, his guardian angel, Clarence, falls to Earth and shows him how his town, family and friends would've turned out had he never been born. At the time, in 1946, Time magazine declared the film was "possibly the best movie of the year," noting it was the "skilled balance of fantasy, sentimentality and quality" that made the film stand out above the crowd.1
Despite glowing reviews, the film failed to recoup the $2.3 million spent on the production. Some have suggested it might have been too "dark" for the 1946 postwar holiday season. The film didn't become a Christmas classic until the 1970s, after its copyright had expired and it began being aired on television on Christmas Eve. The ending to this movie, if any of you still haven't seen it, will bring tears to your eyes and remind you of how many lives YOU touch every day. So, this holiday season, I want to thank you for your loyalty and support, and wish you peace, joy and health on this special day. I'd like to leave you with one final thought — an idea for what to gift those on your Holiday shopping list, as quoted by novelist Oren Arnold. The best part? These gifts don't come from a store and they keep on giving all year long.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/25/merry-christmas-from-dr-mercola.aspx Youthfulness, vitality and a long, prosperous life have been sought after throughout human history. And now, it seems scientists may have discovered one of the keys to turning back the hands of time. Researchers from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University have made a breakthrough discovery in plant DNA that could lead to stopping cancer cold and slowing the aging process, ABC affiliate News 15 Arizona reports.1 The research involves telomerase, an enzyme that produces the DNA of telomeres, which have been shown to play a role in the aging process. As your telomeres lengthen, they protect your cells from aging. Take It From the Experts: Centenarians Share Their SecretsWhile direct applications from the study to human health are distant, there are a number of things you can do now to improve your health span, according to one of the co-authors. In interviews and surveys with centenarians, certain themes came up time and time again when they explained why they've lived so long. The 10 most common reasons they gave for their long lives were:
Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the U.S population, with numbers doubling every decade; by the year 2050, the number of people who will have reached the century mark is expected to pass 1 million. Centenarians have 60% lower rates of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, yet scientific explanations for their health and longevity remain elusive. As a group, they are happy and optimistic and have extremely low rates of depression and other psychiatric problems, suggesting you may live longer by maintaining the right attitude. Hopefulness and Positivity Affect the HeartThere are compelling links between cardiac health and mental health. For example, having untreated depression or anxiety disorder increases your odds of having a heart attack or developing heart disease. Stress hormones are again a primary culprit. According to Julia Boehm, author of earlier Harvard studies looking at optimism and cardiovascular disease (CVD):2
With a later study,3 author Eric Kim told The Harvard Gazette:
The Significance of Sound SleepGetting adequate sleep is an important part of both mental and physical health. Too much or too little can lead to metabolic issues, as well as changes in mood and your ability to focus. Your circadian rhythm, which affects your sleep/wake cycle, holds implications for your brain, body temperature, hormones and cell regeneration among other things.4
Italian researchers found that deletion of a specific gene related to aging also affects glucose homeostasis. According to their article, published in the journal Glia, "Disruption of the circadian cycle is strongly associated with metabolic imbalance and reduced longevity in humans."6 Telomeres and telomerase activity are also controlled by your circadian rhythm,7 making proper sleep an important part of longevity. In a 2007 study involving 21,268 adult twins, Finnish researchers found that adults who slept more than eight hours per night, or less than seven, showed increased risk of death.8 Of course, the quality of your sleep is also important, not just the quantity. Good quality sleep, in the appropriate amount, can improve how you think and adapt to the demands on your time and changes throughout your day. There is evidence suggesting that a calm mind and active body are two important ingredients for longevity. The meditative technique known as "mindfulness" has even been shown to have a beneficial effect on genetic expression. According to a 2018 article in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity,9 meditation has also been found to affect the enzyme telomerase, which some researchers believe is actively involved with the process of aging. After Resting, Be Sure to RefuelAdditionally, there are many other strategies you can implement to improve your health and extend your life span. To live longer, you need to counteract the progressive loss of muscle mass by increasing your protein intake as you age. The elderly, bodybuilders and endurance athletes typically have higher than normal protein requirements for their age group. It's also important to cycle high and low protein intake. Ideally, combine protein restriction with time-restricted eating, followed by increased protein intake on strength training days. Fasting 16 to 20 hours each day is likely ideal, as this allows your body to more thoroughly deplete the glycogen stores in your liver. Benefits of fasting include the suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the activation of autophagy, both of which play decisive roles in disease prevention and longevity. You'd also be wise to avoid eating two to three hours before bed, as late-night eating will decrease your nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) level, which is crucial for health and longevity. Late-night eating will also make you pack on unwanted pounds, as the excess calories will not be burned but stored as fat. Preventing Cognitive DeclineNaturally, if you're going to live longer, you'll want to be healthy for the remainder, and that includes maintaining your cognitive function. Specific nutrients that can help prevent dementia and cognitive decline include vitamin D, DHA, folate and magnesium. Additional nutrients of notable interest, which are readily available in supplement form, include:
Kick the Chemicals to the CurbNaturally, there's also the issue of toxic exposures, which can take a toll on your health, so avoiding toxins is a given, right along with eating a wholesome diet of organic, unprocessed foods. This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with nontoxic alternatives. A group of scientists from Southeast University and Changzhou No. 7 People's Hospital in China recently published a study10 about the role of plastics in our environment and how long-term exposure affects our health. They found that high concentrations of nanoplastic particles reduced the life span of roundworms. They believe that different levels of exposure may have effects on locomotion and immune response, indicating that nanopolystyrene is likely toxic to all types of organisms. "Our results highlight the potential of long-term nanopolystyrene exposure in reducing longevity and in affecting health state during the aging process in environmental organisms," they wrote. Next week I will post my interview with leading researcher James Clement on his book, "The Switch," that will go into far more fascinating details on this topic. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/24/10-ways-to-live-longer.aspx Oxalate, also known as oxalic acid, is found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. While not harmful in and of itself — your liver actually produces oxalate naturally1 — oxalates can cause problems when they over accumulate. Over accumulation can occur either from overconsumption, or because your body either absorbs exceptionally high amounts of soluble oxalates or overproduces oxalate (primary hyperoxaluria2), or if you excrete excessive amounts of urinary calcium (hypercalciuria3).4 An over accumulation of oxalate in your kidneys can lead to the development of calcium oxalate kidney stones, the most common type of kidney stones.5 The stones form when your urine becomes highly concentrated, allowing the calcium and oxalate from your diet to crystallize. If you are predisposed to kidney stones or have calcium oxalate stones already, your doctor may recommend avoiding foods rich in oxalates, such as dark green vegetables (especially spinach and Swiss chard), bran, rhubarb, beets and beet greens, chocolate, nuts (especially almonds, cashews and peanuts) and nut butters.6,7 Is Calcium and Oxalate in Combination Good or Bad?In the past, kidney stone sufferers have also been warned to avoid foods rich in calcium. However, as noted in a 2004 paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, this strategy was never actually proven to reduce the risk.8 "By contrast, already in 1969, a Ca-restricted diet was shown to increase the gastrointestinal absorption of oxalate, leading to increased amounts of oxalate in the urine and an increased risk of the formation of Ca oxalate stones," the paper states.9 Today, experts have largely abandoned the recommendation to limit calcium, as we now know this may do more harm than good. A 1997 study10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine that looked at 12-years' worth of data from 91,731 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study concluded:
Why Increased Calcium Intake Actually Lowers Your Risk of Kidney StonesWhile increasing calcium in your diet may seem counterintuitive, seeing how calcium is the largest component of these stones, the answer to this paradox is that high dietary calcium actually blocks a chemical action that causes the formation of the stones in the first place. As explained by the Cleveland Clinic:11
World's Healthiest Foods further explains:12
Dairy Reduces Oxalate Uptake From SpinachA 2003 study13 demonstrated the difference calcium makes in oxalate uptake. Spinach contains both soluble and insoluble oxalates. In this study, they used frozen commercially available spinach bought in New Zealand, which was found to contain 736.6 milligrams (mg) of soluble oxalate and 220.1 mg of insoluble oxalate per 100 grams, along with 90 mg of total calcium, 76.7% of which was bound to insoluble oxalate and hence not bioavailable. As explained by the authors:
Ten volunteers ate 100 grams of grilled spinach either alone, or with one of the following:
Urine oxalate output was measured over a 6-hour and 24-hour period after eating. According to the authors, "Addition of sour cream and Calci-Trim milk reduced the availability of the oxalate in the spinach significantly in both the 6-hour and 24-hour collection periods." Other Conditions Involving OxalatesPainful kidney stones are not the only problem that can be caused by an accumulation of oxalate crystals. While your kidneys are the most commonly affected organ, oxalates can affect other organs and conditions as well. Examples include fibromyalgia and vulvodynia (vulvar pain).15 Oxalate stones can also be a source of inflammation and significant oxidative damage.16 Oxalate also impairs the absorption of nonheme iron and can lower your iron stores,17 needed for red blood cell formation. What's more, oxalates have the ability to chelate a number of toxic metals, including mercury and lead. Unfortunately, they do this by trapping the heavy metals in your tissues, which makes it difficult to eliminate them.18 Oxalate Absorption Is Dependent on Daily Calcium IntakeAnother study,19 published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology in 2004, notes that "2 to 20% of ingested oxalate is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy humans with a daily 800 mg calcium intake," and that "Calcium is the most potent modifier of the oxalate absorption." I regularly consume two foods that are high in oxalate: our fermented beets that I use to increase my nitric oxide and sweet potatoes. I add one-half teaspoon of finely crushed egg shells to bind to the oxalates when I eat these foods. In the 2004 study, to assess the exact correlation between calcium intake and oxalate absorption, healthy volunteers were given 0.37 millimole (mmol) of soluble salt sodium oxalate. Their calcium intake ranged from 200 mg to 1,800 mg.
When Eating Oxalate-Containing Food Take It With Your Calcium SupplementAs noted in the 1997 Annals of Internal Medicine study21 mentioned earlier, dietary calcium and calcium supplementation do not have identical effects. Whereas calcium-rich foods lowered the risk of kidney stones by 35%, calcium supplements raised it by 20%. To reiterate, the reason for this discrepancy appears to be because most people either take their supplements on an empty stomach or with breakfast, which tends to be low or void of oxalates. Few actually eat veggies for breakfast. That said, you can avoid this heightened risk by making sure you take your calcium supplement with lunch or dinner instead, which hopefully includes some leafy greens and other vegetables (i.e., oxalate-rich foods). This will allow the calcium from your supplement to bind with the oxalate from the food in your intestine, and be safely eliminated through your stool rather than accumulate (and potentially crystallize) in your urine. Another alternative would be to take your supplement with a green smoothie or fresh-pressed vegetable juice in the morning. While we're on the subject of calcium supplements, an inexpensive and all-natural alternative to calcium tablets is to grind clean, discarded, dried egg shells into a fine powder that you can then add to foods, smoothies and green juices. According to one study,22 consuming just half an eggshell can supply you with the recommended reference daily intake of calcium (1,000 mg) for adults (age 19 to 50).23 You can read more about this technique, and its benefits, in "Is Eating Eggshells Beneficial?" Preventing Kidney StonesTo summarize, if you're taking a calcium supplement, take it with lunch or dinner to minimize your risk of kidney stones. If you don't take a calcium supplement, consider eating your veggies (and other high-oxalate foods) with a calcium-rich food. Examples mentioned included eating cooked spinach with some cottage cheese or sour cream. A glass of raw, organic milk or some organic raw butter could also do the trick. All of that said, the No. 1 reason for kidney stone formation is dehydration, so staying well hydrated should be at the top of your list. If you aren't drinking enough water, your urine will have higher concentrations of substances that can precipitate out and form stones. As noted by the National Kidney Foundation:24
The American College of Physicians' guidelines25 recommend drinking enough water to produce at least 2 liters of urine per day. Sugar (especially processed fructose), and hence processed foods are other contributing factors that are best avoided if you're concerned about kidney stones.26,27 Limiting animal protein and supplemental vitamin C is also recommended for those at risk of stone formation.28 Also be sure to get plenty of exercise to keep your body's fluids moving. Lastly, make sure you're getting adequate magnesium and vitamin B6 in your diet, as these nutrients may help prevent kidney stone formation.29 The combination of potassium citrate and magnesium citrate has also been shown to be "an effective countermeasure for the increased risk of renal stone disease associated with immobilization," according to one study.30 Another found potassium/magnesium citrate "effectively prevents recurrent calcium oxalate stones," and when taken for up to three years can reduce your risk of a recurrence by 85%.31 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/23/why-you-should-take-calcium-with-your-greens.aspx Cleaning the house is no one's favorite job, and dangerous cleaning products worsen the task by posing risks to you and the environment. An extreme example occurred earlier this year at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington, Massachusetts. Chlorine gas produced when the cleaners Super 8 and Scale Kleen were unintentionally mixed killed the general manager1 and sickened 10 others.2 The gas "generates a noxious mixture of hydrochloric acid, hypochlorous acid, hypochlorite, and other corrosive compounds" according to Chemical and Engineering News.3 While the Buffalo Wild Wings event was an accident, not everyone realizes that adding two cleaners together does not make a stronger cleaner and can create dangerous compounds. In this case, the sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach) in Super 8 interacted with the phosphoric acid and nitric acid in Scale Kleen with disastrous consequences.4 Similarly, mixing bleach with ammonia produces the toxic gas chloramine, and mixing bleach with hydrogen peroxide can create an oxygen gas explosion.5 Of course, most harm from chemical cleaners is much less dramatic, but it still exists. Using cleaning products once a week for 20 years is considered equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 10 to 20 years, according to research in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.6 While oven, drain and toilet bowl cleaners are the most dangerous cleaning products, even milder household cleaners have been linked to breast cancer,7 brain, immune system, hormonal system and liver effects, and are suspected of contributing to asthma, lower sperm counts, early puberty in girls, autoimmunity and possibly autism.8 Household cleaning products also contribute to air pollution in the home and in the environment. And, since they invariably come in plastic packaging or containers, they add to plastic and litter pollution. Luckily, there are safe and effective cleaning products you can make at home that pose no health risks and cause no pollution and no litter. Lemon Juice for Whitening and Adding a Fresh ScentLemons are effective deodorizers for your garbage disposal, humidifier and refrigerator, and are a great laundry additive. They also have excellent cleansing properties that match or even exceed harsh, chemical cleaners. Here are a few of the many cleaning jobs lemon juice can take care of:
Hydrogen Peroxide — An Effective Disinfectant and SanitizerFor cuts and scrapes I have always recommended hydrogen peroxide over rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol because it is both safer and more effective in killing bacteria. ( I also travel with peroxide for quick cleaning of stains on clothes.) Whether large or small, wounds heal faster when there is plenty of oxygen available, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contains one more oxygen molecule than water (H2O), making it more oxygen-dense. The additional oxygen molecule causes the bubbling you see when you apply hydrogen peroxide to a cut or scrape — it breaks bacterial cell membranes open by attracting electrons, and they release the enzyme catalase. This unique antibacterial action of hydrogen peroxide also makes it ideal for general cleaning around the house! For cleaning greasy surfaces like your kitchen counters, put 20 to 30 drops of citrus essential oil in a spritzer bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Spray surface and wipe off. Hydrogen peroxide is also a disinfectant. A study in Food Microbiology found spraying vinegar, followed by hydrogen peroxide, was effective for killing a variety of bacteria, including E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella.9 White Vinegar Removes Foul Smells and Much MoreThere are many different kinds of vinegar — some with impressive health benefits when taken internally, such as cider vinegars made from fermenting fruits like apples. Other vinegars, such as white vinegar and true vinegars made from distilling grain alcohol, are the best choice for household cleaning jobs. Many of us remember our mothers or grandmothers washing windows with vinegar so the windows would become squeaky clean, or even rinsing our hair in vinegar. But vinegar's acidic PH does not fully explain its many cleaning and disinfecting benefits. Research in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found a mixture of 50% distilled white vinegar with club soda and tea tree oil was more effective against E. Coli than bleach.10 To clean sinks, tubs, tile floors and other surfaces, the vinegar should be diluted with water by as much as 50-50. Baking soda can be added for extra "punch." (More on that later.) A vinegar and water mixture also makes a great all-purpose countertop cleaner and for stone counters. Rubbing alcohol or vodka mixed with water can also be added with positive results. For heavier-duty cleaning, such as mildew and bathroom grout, you can spray vinegar straight onto the area and let it set for 30 minutes. You should then be able to remove the mold or grout stains with a scrub sponge and warm water — an infinitely better solution than harsh, chemical cleaners. White distilled vinegar along with ice cubes will also get rid of foul smells in your garbage disposal when you turn the disposal on. Baking Soda for Scrubbing, Deodorizing and Unclogging DrainsBaking soda, also known as nahcolite because it comes from the natural mineral natron, has centuries of use in both cooking and cleaning. This inexpensive, versatile and safe product has many personal care uses, which I have written about before. But just as impressive are its many household cleaning uses. Here are some of them:
Organic Essential Oils Can Replace Toxic DeodorizersThere are so many household uses for organic essential oils, they are limited only by your imagination. In addition to their pleasant fragrances, many essential oils have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity and can be added as a boost to your homemade cleaners. Moreover, they do not pollute the indoor and outdoor environment or cause plastic waste pollution. Here are a few suggestions:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/23/homemade-house-cleaner.aspx 1 Which of the following nutrients has been shown to increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease when low, and is indicated for the treatment of infections, inflammation, sepsis, burns, allergies, whooping cough, vaccine reactions and more, using high doses?
2 When evaluating the effectiveness of vitamin D, the most important study parameter to consider is:
3 Which of the following toxins were recently identified as having the greatest impact on life span?
4 Which of the following statements about sleep is a common belief that is false?
5 What is a key dietary strategy to help optimize mitochondrial function in chronic fatigue patients?
6 What is the biggest obstacle to recycling in Russia?
7 Which of the following strategies should you implement first in order to lower your EMF exposure?
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/23/week-109-health-quiz.aspx By Ronnie Cummins As noted in "Ditching Nature in Favor of Fake Food Is Not the Solution to Destructive Factory Farming" by Dr. Joseph Mercola:
As a campaigner for organic and regenerative food, and a critic of fast food, GMOs and factory farms for over 40 years, I am alarmed and disgusted by the degenerate state of food and farming in the United States. Not only are misguided farmers, ignorant and corrupt public officials, greedy investors, food corporations and mindless consumers destroying their health and the health of their families through their everyday production practices and food choices, but our Fast Food Nation is rapidly degrading the health of the environment and the climate and life-support systems of our planet as well. Corporate America's trillion-dollar taxpayer-subsidized system of industrial food and farming, represented most graphically by factory farms and feedlots, is literally killing us, whether we're talking about our food-related public health emergency or the fact that our chemical and fossil fuel-intensive system of industrial agriculture is belching out 43 to 57 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution that has dangerously destabilized our climate.1 (The percentages are estimated amounts according to the United Nations Conference on Trade of Development, 2013,2 in which the conference members added food waste, food production, processing, transport and deforestation together.) The malevolent driving force of Big Food Inc. and their army of chemical farmers, food processors and marketers is the idea that maximizing short-term profits trumps all other considerations — including health, economic justice, animal welfare, environment and climate stability — and that convenient, cheap, artificially flavored fast food and commodities represent the pinnacle of modern agricultural production and consumption. Boycott Factory-Farmed FoodIt's time to disrupt and take down our suicide economy and our degenerate agricultural and food system. A good starting point is to join the growing movement and consumer boycott of all factory-farmed meat, dairy and poultry products, not just at the grocery store, but in restaurants as well — and not just occasionally, but every day. Factory farms inhumanely confine, feed and drug 50 billion of the 70 billion farm animals on the planet,3 supplying McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, et al., and the supermarket chains with the cheap, artery-clogging meat and dairy that are destroying our environment, climate and health. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the GMO soybean and corn farms that supply them are the No. 1 source of water pollution in the U.S.,4 as well as a major source of air pollution. Monsanto/Bayer's GMO soybeans and corn for CAFO animal feed are the No. 1 destroyer of grasslands and forest in the Amazon basin and other areas.5,6 U.S. and international factory farm meat and dairy operations are also major drivers of global warming and climate change, spewing out massive amounts of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide emissions7 into the atmosphere from giant feedlots, hog and chicken complexes, manure lagoons and the chemical-intensive, GMO grain farms that supply "CAFO Nation" with millions of tons of taxpayer-subsidized animal feed every year. Besides degenerating the environment and climate, CAFOs are primary drivers of our deteriorating public health as well. Filthy, inhumane, polluting, greenhouse gas-belching factory farms mass produce approximately 90 to 95 percent of the meat and animal products consumed in America today. The average U.S. carnivore now supersizes and toxifies themselves with approximately 200 pounds8 of CAFO meat a year, loaded with bad fats (low in omega-3 and other key nutrients) and laced with antibiotic, pesticide and hormone residues that substantially increase a person's chances of getting cancer, suffering from obesity, dying from an antibiotic-resistant infection, developing Alzheimer's or having a heart attack. Approximately 75 percent of all the antibiotics9 in the U.S. today are dumped into factory farm animal feed and water to keep the animals alive under the hellish conditions of intensive confinement as well as to force the animals to gain more weight. This massive, reckless and often illegal use of antibiotics on factory farms (along with routine over-prescribing of prescription antibiotics by doctors) has begun to spread deadly antibiotic-resistant pathogens into our food, with an average of 90,000 Americans dying from antibiotic-resistant infections on an outpatient basis every year, according to the latest calculations by Cambridge University researchers, who noted that they believe the 23,000 deaths often quoted are far underreported.10 Based upon a study commissioned by the U.K. government, multidrug-resistant infections are projected kill 10 million people a year across the world — more than currently die from cancer — by 2050 unless significant action is taken.11 False Solutions No. 1: Fake MeatAlthough I share the same disgust and hatred of factory farms and CAFO meat as my vegan and vegetarian brothers and sisters, I am nonetheless disturbed to see a growing number of vegan activists, Silicon Valley tycoons, genetic engineering cheerleaders and even some climate activists joining together to promote fake meat products such as the "Impossible Burger," as a healthy and climate-friendly alternative to beef. Even worse are the growing number of vegans, climate activists and high-tech/GMO enthusiasts who claim that abolishing livestock and animal husbandry altogether will solve our health, environmental and climate crises. The Impossible Burger, made from a highly-processed mix of soy, wheat, coconut oil, potatoes and genetically engineered (GE) yeast, is Wall Street's latest darling and a heavily-hyped menu item in many vegan restaurants. As Mercola has previously pointed out:
Unfortunately, it appears the Impossible Burger and other fake meat are neither healthy nor, in the case of the Impossible Burger, even proven safe. Mercola pointed out that fake meat such as the Impossible Burger is nutritionally inferior to real, non-CAFO meat such as 100 percent grass fed beef, which "contain a complex mix of nutrients and cofactors that you cannot recreate by an assembly of individual components. While it's true that millions of carnivores, especially in the U.S., are supersizing and poisoning themselves with two or three times as much CAFO meat, dairy and poultry as a natural health expert would recommend, a moderate amount of grass fed or pastured meat and dairy (especially raw milk dairy products) are actually very good for your health. So, if you want a healthy meal, skip the Impossible Burger and other fake meat and go for a 100 percent grass fed beef, lamb or buffalo burger instead. If you prefer to get your protein boost from seafood, skip the farmed fish and go for wild Alaskan salmon. If you're determined to eat a veggie burger, skip the GMO yeast and fake blood and flavors and choose a healthy meat alternative such as an organic tempeh burger, made from fermented soybeans, or a bean burger, made from all natural, organic ingredients. False Solution No. 2: Abolishing LivestockEven more bizarre, elitist and uninformed is the recent trendy chorus basically calling for the elimination of the planet's 70 billion livestock as a major solution to the climate crisis. These "no livestock" fundamentalists basically ignore the fact that over a billion people, especially in the developing world, rely upon, for their food and survival, raising livestock on the billions of acres of pasture and rangeland that are simply not suitable for raising crops, but which can and do support properly grazed livestock. Besides providing about one-third14 of the world's protein, animal husbandry and livestock today provide 33 to 55 percent of the household income for the world's 640 million small farmers, 190 million pastoralists, and 1 billion urban peasants, more than 66 percent of whom are low-income women.15 Shall we just tell these billion "backward" peasants to go into town and line up for their GE Impossible Burgers and forget about raising their cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, ducks and chickens like their ancestors have done for thousands of years? Global Warming and Catastrophic Climate Change: The Animals (and Regenerative Food and Farming) Can Save UsPerhaps the most fundamental reason why we need to preserve and promote a regenerative system of animal husbandry across the planet on millions of farms and ranches is the little-known fact that properly grazing animals (as opposed to animals imprisoned in factory farms) are the key to sequestering excess carbon-dioxide from the atmosphere and storing this carbon in the world's 4 billion acres16 of rangelands and pasturelands. As world-renowned climate scientist James Hansen, Ph.D., puts it:17
A growing corps of climate experts have warned us repeatedly that we must stop burning fossil fuels; eliminate destructive food, farming and land use practices; and draw down enough carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Earth's atmosphere through regenerative farming/ranching and enhanced natural photosynthesis to return us to 350 parts per million (ppm) or, better yet, to pre-industrial levels of 280 ppm. About half the total human greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming today come from burning fossil fuels18 (coal, oil and gas) for transportation, heating, cooling, electricity and manufacturing. The other half, however, unbeknown to most people, comes from degenerative food, farming and land use practices.19 These greenhouse gas-polluting, climate-destabilizing food, farming and land use practices include the massive use of fossil fuels and synthetic, climate-destabilizing chemicals on the farm, including diesel fuel, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They also include energy-intensive food processing, packaging, long-distance transportation of foods, confining billions of methane-belching animals in factory farms, dumping rotting waste food and organic garbage into landfills instead of composting it, and wasting 40 percent20 or more of all the food we grow. These fossil fuel-intensive food and farming practices are compounded by degenerate land use practices, including clear-cutting forests, draining wetlands, degrading marine ecosystems, destructively tilling the soil, dumping soil-killing pesticides and chemical fertilizers on the land, and destroying grasslands. These degenerate farming and land use practices degrade the natural ability of plants, pasture, rangeland, wetlands, and trees to draw down enough CO2 from the atmosphere (via photosynthesis) to keep the soil, atmosphere, ocean, carbon and hydrological cycles in balance. So how can we avert climate catastrophe and the collapse of human civilization? Regenerative food, farming and land use, especially grazing and pasturing animals properly on the world's 4.3 billion acres of pasture and rangeland, is the key to ending CAFO (and GMO grain) emissions and drawing down enough CO2 to reverse global warming. As Judith Schwartz explains in detail in her recent book, "Cows Save the Planet," holistic rotational grazing, especially in pastures where perennial trees and plants are growing, is the key to averting climate catastrophe.21 Most people do not yet understand the central role of regenerating the soil and supercharging plant photosynthesis in order to stop and then reverse global warming. Even fewer understand that the major solution to greenhouse gas pollution and degenerative factory farm and grain-growing practices are properly grazed livestock in perennialized pastures, managed by regenerative ranchers and farmers, supported by conscious consumers who refuse to eat factory farmed meat, dairy and poultry or nonorganic vegetables, fruits and grains. Plant Photosynthesis and CO2 DrawdownThe most important thing about regenerative food, farming, ranching and land use is that these practices qualitatively increase plant photosynthesis, with a potential to drawdown all of the excess carbon (200 to 250 billion tons of carbon) in the atmosphere that is causing global climate change. In other words, if the levels of carbon sequestration now being put into practice by thousands of advanced regenerative farmers and ranchers (1 to 10 tons of atmospheric carbon sequestered per acre/per year) can be scaled up globally, we can draw down enough excess carbon from the atmosphere to reverse global warming and restore climate stability.22 Through the miraculous process of photosynthesis, plants (including pasture grasses) have the ability to breathe in CO2 and transpire or release oxygen, simultaneously turning atmospheric CO2 into a form of "liquid carbon" that not only builds up the plant's above ground biomass (leaves, flowers, branches, trunk or stem), but also travels though the plant's roots into the soil below. Exuded or released from the plant's roots, this liquid carbon or sugar feeds the soil microorganisms in the rhizosphere, the soil food web that not only sustains all plant and animal life, including humans, but also regulates the balance between the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and the carbon in our soils. Regenerative food and farming, coupled with 100 percent renewable energy, not only holds the potential — through qualitatively enhanced soil health and supercharged plant photosynthesis — to mitigate global warming by drawing down several hundred billion tons of excess carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, but also to actually reverse global warming while simultaneously restoring the environment, improving the nutritional quality of our food, and regenerating the economic vitality of small farmers, herders and rural communities.23 Michael Pollan, perhaps America's best-known food writer, explains how enhanced plant photosynthesis, as generated through healthy soils and forests and 100 percent grass fed holistic grazing is the key to drawing down excess carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in our soils in order to reverse global warming:24
The Regeneration Revolution Is Long OverdueAfter decades of working alongside vegans and animal rights activists in campaigns such as the McDonald's Beyond Beef campaign (which I organized with Jeremy Rifkin and Howard Lyman in 1992 to 1994), the campaign against Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) from 1994 until the present, and most recently working with consumers and farmers in campaigns against GMOs, pesticides and factory farm dairy, poultry and beef, I believe the time is long overdue for everyone concerned about food, farming, health, climate and humane treatment of animals to connect the dots between our common concerns and build a powerful united front to take down factory farms and carry out a global Regeneration Revolution. Breaking through the tunnel vision and self-righteous walls between our issue silos (i.e., my issue is more important than your issue, and my solution is the only solution), and uniting to build a new "Beyond USDA Organic" system of regenerative food, farming and land use, we can bring down the factory farm and GMO behemoth. Working together rather than rallying behind false solutions such as fake meat and abolishing livestock, we can popularize and scale-up humane, healthy and climate-friendly solutions to our hydra-headed crisis. We can promote and implement real, positive, shovel-ready solutions rather than promoting simplistic and indeed destructive "silver bullets" such as genetically engineered fake meat and "pharm animals," that not only fail to address the real roots of climate (and the health) crisis, but ultimately threaten the livelihoods of a billion small farmers and peasant women across the planet. So, forget about the Impossible Burger and other fake meats and the elitist notion of getting rid of the world's 70 billion livestock. We're all in this together, and it's going to take a regeneration of all living creatures — humans, wild animals, livestock, plants, trees and soil microorganisms — working in harmony to build a new world on the ruins of the old. Given the horrors of factory farms and factory-farmed food, we need a global boycott of the multitrillion-dollar CAFO industry. Please sign up here to stay in touch with the news and campaigns of the Organic Consumers Association. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< More and more of us, conscious consumers and farmers, alarmed by the accelerating climate crisis and the degeneration of the environment, public health and politics are coming together under the banner of regenerative food, farming and land use, the most important new current in the food, farming and climate movement. Please join us today. About the AuthorRonnie Cummins is international director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), a nonprofit consumer advocacy and grassroots organization, and a member of the Regeneration International (RI) steering committee. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/22/regenerative-food-and-farming.aspx Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can cause severe oxidative stress and biological damage. I discuss this in detail along with what you can do to protect yourself from them in my latest book EMF*D which is now available for preorder. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< Here to address what you can do to remediate that influence is Lloyd Burrell, who has been an advocate for EMF safety and consumer education for the last 15 years. Like so many others, Burrell's interest and subsequent expertise was the outgrowth of facing personal health challenges. He describes himself as being EMF-hypersensitive, and had to figure out how to deal with living in the modern world, surrounded by wireless technology and electrosmog. Burrell's JourneyBurrell's journey began in 2002, when he suddenly started having strange reactions to his cellphone. He tells the story:
Identifying the Cause of His ProblemsFor the next two years, he sought help from a number of different specialists. Meanwhile, the symptoms turned chronic. "Fatigue, pain all over my body and digestive problems. I really was in a bad way, and it was just getting worse," he says. The medication he was given turned him into "a zombie" and ultimately didn't help. Then one day he read a newspaper article about Brian Stein, a CEO of a big food group in the U.K. who, like himself, could not use his cellphone or computer.
Burrell started a website, ElectricSense, in December 2009, initially simply warning people about the folly of allowing young children to use and carry cellphones.
Understand, Measure, MitigateOne of the things Burrell now does is assess the value of various remediation strategies and products. For example, he offers guidance and recommendations for EMF meters, which is necessary to assess your EMF exposure. It can be a complex process, and he has created several excellent videos on this topic, explaining the different options available. "To be clear, I no longer have the debilitating symptoms, so I'm able to live a normal life," he says. Ultimately, this is the goal for anyone struggling with EMF hypersensitivity, and Burrell is proof positive that it's possible.
As explained by Burrell, there are three main categories of EMFs that we want to assess: radiofrequency (RF) radiation; magnetic fields; and electric fields, plus dirty electricity, which is a subset of electrical fields. These are all on the electromagnetic spectrum and are measured in terms of frequency and wavelength. Turn Off, Increase Distance, ShieldThe reason you want a meter (or several different types) that can measure all four of these EMFs is because you want to be able to identify the hotspots in your home and areas where you spend a lot of time. Your bedroom is of principal importance, as this is where you spend a significant portion of your life. Once you know where the hotspots are, you can figure out how to mitigate, i.e., lower the EMF level, in those areas. Keep in mind that there are no "safe" readings. Whether a reading is "too high" is rather subjective, depending on your sensitivity.
One of the easiest ways to lower the EMF level is to turn off whatever is generating the EMFs. For example, you can turn off your cellphone when not in use, especially at night when you're sleeping. Ditto for your wireless router. Ideally, hardwire your home and forgo wireless altogether. Many "smart" devices can also generate high RF radiation, and you might not realize this unless you measure it. Your dishwasher could be giving off RF radiation, or your washing machine. If you can't turn the device off, then increase the distance between yourself and the device. As a last resort, install some kind of shielding.
Do EMF-Shielding Gadgets Work?Chances are, you've seen various EMF harmonizers or gadgets, that promise to protect you against harmful EMFs. The question is, do they actually work? From my perspective, they might be dangerous because they clearly do not shield you from the radiation. They may alleviate symptoms, but they do not address the biological damage occurring. Burrell weighs in:
Thousands of Studies Show EMF HarmsOne of the sections in Burrell's book, which is available on Amazon here, discusses and dispels a variety of common myths. One of them is that EMF exposure cannot cause biological damage. This is a myth that must be dispelled, seeing how 5G is already being implemented in many areas around the world, and will dramatically increase exposures and, with it, likely unleash an avalanche of trouble.
Among the most recent studies is the National Toxicology Program study, funded by the U.S. federal government to the tune of $30 million, which found 2G and 3G wireless radiation triggered DNA damage and deadly brain and heart tumors. Note that the more dangerous present 4G and even more dangerous 5G frequencies were not tested in this study. Within months, these findings were reproduced by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy. I review the findings of both of these studies in "Cellphones Strongly Linked to Cancer — New Study Reproduces Government Findings." Defunding Research Is a Common Ploy to Hide HarmsIn an effort to delay safety regulations and keep the public in the dark, the industry will often simply strip researchers of their funding when studies turn up problems. Burrell says:
Power Versus ModulationWhile the cellphone industry spends a lot of time talking about the power, and are making their phones less powerful, Burrell points out that this isn't the main problem. The most harmful aspect of cellphone technology is the modulation, the mix of frequencies. He explains:
It's really important to understand that just because you can't feel it doesn't mean you're not being impacted. This is what the studies are telling us. Everyone is impacted by these frequencies, whether you feel it or not. In some respects, EMF hypersensitive individuals are at an advantage, as the discomfort they feel spur them to take remedial action. People who (as of yet) cannot sense EMFs never feel the need to protect themselves and are therefore at increased risk for damage. 5G ExplainedIn October 2019, SpaceX petitioned to launch another 30,000 satellites,1 which would bring its low-orbit Starlink broadband network for 5G coverage up to 42,000 satellites. The main hazard of 5G, aside from the fact that it adds another layer of frequencies onto everything we already have, is that it uses higher frequency millimeter waves (MMW). Please understand, it's not the internet that is problematic. The problem is the wireless connection. We have the capacity to increase the bandwidth and achieve the same kind of effect as 5G using fiber optic cables, but the industry wants to use wireless because they can make more money that way.
Unfortunately, unlike the tobacco industry, the wireless industry has the full support of the federal regulatory agencies. That makes it even more challenging, as the public health authorities and federal regulatory agencies promote that it's safe. It's going to take a lot to overcome global implementation of 5G. There could potentially be a lot of dead people in the streets before they start to wake up and realize how damaging this plan is for life on this planet. Remediation StrategiesThe good news is there are ways to protect yourself, and many strategies are free. They do require a bit of effort on your part, however. Again, turning devices off or increasing your distance from them are your first alternatives. As a last resort, you may need to shield, and the cost of this can vary widely.
Following are some suggestions that will help you create a healing sleep sanctuary: • Turn off your Wi-Fi router at night. • Keep (or charge) your cellphone in another room at night. At bare minimum, keep it in airplane mode, and as far away from your head as possible. During the day, minimize your cellphone use, get a low-EMF phone case and keep it in airplane mode inside a faraday bag when not in use. • Clear out any and all electric and/or wireless devices from your room, such as electric blankets, baby monitors, alarm clocks and wireless telephone bases. • Shut off the electricity to your bedroom. You can do that manually by shutting off your circuit breaker after having identified the correct one, or you can install an automated device that can do it for you. The EMF kill switch2 is one example. Burrell recommends measuring the EMF in your room after you've shut the electricity off to make sure you haven't created a higher electric field on another circuit that might impact you. Again, he recommends aiming for a benchmark of 0.02 volts per meter. If you can get lower, even better. • If you need to shield against RF radiation, you can use a Faraday canopy over your bed, or install partial-room or whole-room shielding. For example, you may find you need to shield one wall, the ceiling, or the floor. There are a number of ways to do this, including using shielding paint or fabric. But, however you do it, please be sure to shield the floor even if you are on the ground floor; otherwise you will not have a faraday cage. More InformationTo learn more, be sure to check out Burrell's website, ElectricSense.com. Also consider picking up a copy of his book, "EMF Practical Guide," which is available on Amazon. It's an excellent companion to my upcoming book, "EMF'd," which is coming out in 2020. In closing, Burrell notes:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/22/emf-mitigation.aspx Have you ever gotten creative when applying a small adhesive bandage? It can be challenging to figure out how to cover one of your finger joints, while still being able to use your finger. Whether it’s the end of a finger or over a joint, you’ll discover several hacks you can use with a one sized bandage in this short video. Many times, you won’t have the right size or configuration of the bandage you need when you get a cut or abrasion. In other cases, replacing your bandage each time it gets wet means you’ll go through every specially configured dressing in the box for the cut over your finger joint before it heals. However, going without a covering before your cut has scabbed may also not be a good idea. As the number of antibiotic resistant infections continues to rise, it is crucial you don’t overlook the little cuts and abrasions but treat them when they happen. Vegetables, raw chicken, bathrooms and even your cell phone can be a source of infection. Dressings Create a Barrier Against DirtYour skin provides a barrier against infection, protecting your body from an invasion of pathogens. When the barrier is broken, it increases your risk of getting a local or systemic infection.1 If your skin can’t provide a barrier against the environment, then dressings may be used to provide a barrier against pathogens and promote healing.2 However, while it may appear putting on one dressing is all that’s needed, when a bandage gets wet it becomes a prime area for breeding bacteria and other pathogens. As this wet dressing is pressed up against your skin, even if the cut has scabbed or closed, it may increase your risk of a local infection. Have you noticed your skin begins to wrinkle if you stay in the pool or bathtub for a long time? The same thing happens on a small scale when you keep a wet dressing against your skin. The skin then begins to breakdown, called maceration. This allows bacteria to enter, increasing your risk of infection. It is important to change your dressing any time it gets wet. Clean the Wound First, Then Cover ItGetting cuts and scrapes is common. The openings in the skin create an opportunity for bacterial growth so initial cleaning is crucial to help flush out unwanted pathogens and help the area heal. Before covering a cut or scrape with a dressing, start with cleaning the cut. Some prefer soap and water while others reach for the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, but which is best? Hydrogen peroxide is effective at killing microorganisms and much safer and more effective than using isopropyl alcohol. It works by breaking the cell membranes in the bacteria. As it reacts with an enzyme inside the bacteria called catalase, you'll see fizzing from the hydrogen peroxide reaction and release of an oxygen molecule. Although it is a good antiseptic, it cannot distinguish between healthy cells and bacterial cells in your wound. Thus, the peroxide also breaks down healthy cell membranes and produces the same fizzing. Most clinicians do not recommend using an antiseptic solution of any kind as it destroys healthy cells and may slow the healing process, as well as increase the risk of scar tissue formation. Instead, the best way to clean a cut is to use a safe mild soap free of triclosan, triclocarban or fragrance with plenty of water. Before washing out a cut or scrape, wash your hands first to reduce the potential for transferring bacteria to the wound. You may find a cut or abrasion will bleed as you're cleaning it. Apply direct pressure to stop the bleeding after you're finished cleaning and elevate it above the level of your heart if able. This helps to reduce the amount of blood delivered to the area and helps to stop the bleeding. Cool water may feel better to you than warm, but either is acceptable. If you have a sprayer on your kitchen sink, try using it to help clean the wound out while rinsing for five to 10 minutes. This helps remove dirt and debris from the area. Once the cut has been flushed out, use mild pressure with a clean washcloth or a piece of gauze and mild soap. Scrubbing the area with an abrasive material or hard pressure may disrupt healthy tissue and prolong healing time. Tips to Speed Healing of Cuts and ScrapesOnce you've cleaned the area and the bleeding has stopped, there are several ways you can improve the speed at which your wound heals and reduce the potential of getting a scar. • Honey -- Honey was used to fight infection until the early 20th century. However, the grade-A processed honey at the grocery store is typically high-fructose syrup and may increase your risk of infection. Instead, use raw Manuka honey produced by bees foraging on Manuka flowers. It may be more effective than antibiotics against some forms of bacteria. • Coconut Oil -- Virgin coconut oil has dual benefits of keeping your skin moist and improving your fibroblast proliferation and wound healing. Use only virgin coconut oil on the area twice daily. • DuoDERM -- DuoDERM is a brand of hydrocolloid dressing to protect the wound from bacteria. It keeps the area moist to improve healing time without producing skin maceration. They also reduce pain in the area while providing a protective covering. • Avoid smoking -- Wound healing requires good blood supply and smoking reduces blood supply to your skin through vasoconstriction, and smoking reduces your absorption of vitamin A, necessary for skin health and healing. • Nutrition --There are several choices described below you may make each day to improve healing time and overall health.
Consider Bentonite Clay to Prevent InfectionCuts and scrapes are so common that in a one-year study in Great Britain, researchers discovered individuals would have at least one cut, ache, sprain or other minor ailment at any given time. If it was not present, something was highly likely to occur in the following three days. The data suggested citizens would suffer 9,672 ailments over the course of a 78-year lifespan. Each open cut represents an opportunity for pathogens to invade the body. In one study, data demonstrated the effectiveness of blue clay against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (E.coli), including strains demonstrating carbapenem resistance and methicillin resistance. Carbapenem is a class of drugs often reserved for severe infections or as a last line antibiotic. The researchers found when natural antibacterial clay was topically applied it could kill pathogens. Bentonite clay, also known as Montmorillonite, is found in large deposits near Fort Benton, Montana. It can be purchased for use internally and externally. However, it is important to keep the clay from contacting anything metal as it reduces the effectiveness of the product. Therefore, it's important to mix it in a glass jar with a plastic lid or use a plastic whisk to mix the contents. Be sure to get it from a reliable, quality source as some contain lead. For instance, in 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to purchase “Best Bentonite Clay” from a company in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as elevated levels of lead posing a risk of poisoning had been found in the products. More Benefits and Uses for Bentonite ClayWhen purchasing bentonite clay, it's important to recognize there are forms sold for internal and external use. For instance, sodium bentonite is often used for industrial products and expands quickly when it absorbs liquid. This can be a problem if it swells in your stomach or intestines. Calcium bentonite has a lower sodium content, and it doesn't swell as much, which makes it safer to take internally. When using it internally, be sure to drink water until your urine is a light straw color each time you use the bathroom. This will reduce the potential for becoming constipated. Bentonite clay has been used internally to help with digestion and detoxification as it attracts bacteria, pesticides and heavy metals. It may also be added to homemade toothpaste or mixed with water as a mouth rinse to help remove toxins from your oral cavity and calcify and whiten your teeth. The clay also has unique external uses including as an underarm detoxifier and deodorant. It can be applied with a face brush on your armpits as your only natural deodorant. It can also be made into a paste with clean pure water by mixing it in a glass jar with a non-metal spoon. This may be applied to skin irritations such as insect bites cuts or burns. Leave it on until it dries and then wash it off. It may also help reduce itching from eczema, psoriasis and chickenpox. Recognize an Infection and Know This TreatmentAlthough not common, every cut or abrasion offers the opportunity for pathogens to enter the body and trigger sepsis. This is an extreme response to an infection that sets up a life-threatening chain reaction and is a medical emergency. The most common types of infections triggering sepsis are respiratory or urinary tract infections. However, it can also develop with an infected cut or scrape. When a cut or scrape appears to get bigger, becomes more painful or develops a discharge, it may have become infected. If treatment at home with an antibiotic cream or coconut oil does not demonstrate improvement within 24 hours or you develop the symptoms of sepsis outlined below, seek immediate medical care. Symptoms of sepsis may be subtle and mistaken for other conditions. If you suspect sepsis, it is vital you seek medical attention and begin immediate treatment. Symptoms may include a rapid heartbeat, high fever with chills, confusion and disorientation, slurred speech or difficulty breathing. Successful treatment is a considerable challenge and becoming more so as antibiotic-resistant infections become more prevalent. Part of what makes it so deadly is people typically do not suspect it and the longer you wait to treat it, the deadlier it gets. Even health care workers may miss the signs and delay treatment. For further discussion of the causes, symptoms, risk factors and strategies to reduce your risk as well as a unique treatment with a high rate of success, see “Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis.” from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/21/bandage-hacks.aspx |
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