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This Week In HealthBeat News:
Political and News Snippets:
Here is an essay written by a prominent, well-respected
allopathic (conventional, drug-based medicine) doctor. The Need to Take Supplements There is, however, a powerful argument against this point of view. We are now living in a highly technological society, for the first time since humans walked on Earth. We are constantly surrounded by polluting chemicals, man-made radiation, unhealthy habits, chemically treated and genetically modified food, and other modern 'developments' which take a serious toll on our health. For example, radiation emitted from mobile phones may accelerate ageing, while the destruction of the ozone layer increases the risk of cataract. Farming practices have changed in recent years, causing a deficiency of vital minerals in the soil. Freezing and food processing also changes the chemical composition of the nutrients in food. All of these and more can result in damage which overwhelms our defence capabilities, so it becomes necessary to give ourselves an extra boost by using a correct and complete combination of supplements. There are many scientific experiments endorsing the use of vitamins C, E and betacarotene, as well as the use of minerals, particularly those in colloidal form. Many more trials support the use of plant chemicals and fish oils which contain essential omega-3 oils. Scientists have also started realizing that it is important to take supplements
together, and not in isolation. Taking a vitamin capsule here and a mineral
tablet there is not going to make any appreciable difference to our health.
However, regular use of suitable formulas which contain multiple preparations of
vitamins, plant extracts, herbs and minerals could prove valuable in fortifying
our bodies against the ravages of modern life. "Cat Scratch Fever" was the topic of a question to Dr. Myatt from one of our readers recently. So, just what is "Cat Scratch Fever"? Well, a rock music fan might say it is a pop song by musician Ted Nugent, but in this case that's not what we are talking about - the Cat Scratch Fever, AKA Cat Scratch Disease is a bacterial infection that causes swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes. It is fairly common in children (who are likely to be scratched while handling a cat) and it is usually a fairly mild illness. Conventional doctors will almost always prescribe antibiotics for this, but as you will see from Dr. Myatt's reply to our reader's question, this is rarely necessary. Read on... Hi "Julie" "Been there, done that" (had cat-scratch fever, that is)! What to do depends on what the symptoms are. Some people have a rash and a little bite-looking spot (the entry of the bacterium). Others have enlarged lymph nodes. Still others may have a fever and feel downright sick. One of the most important things to do is apply a charcoal poultice over the "scratch site." Instructions can be found here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/charcoalhowto.htm. Also, take or administer charcoal internally. I'd suggest the "Enteraklenze," one tablespoon in water 3-4 times per day between meals. This gives a much bigger dose of charcoal than taking capsules (unless you take 12 or so caps at a time).Mix it with crushed ice and maybe even some additional plain chocolate flavoring if it's for a child. Dr. Myatt's B.A.M. (Broad Anti Microbial) tincture and Immune Boost help the immune system fight off the offending bacteria. If this is for a child, dosing guidelines can be found here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/herbs.htm If the victim is truly sick (fever, headache, rash, sore throat, and an overall ill feeling), I'd still use the charcoal et al. An antibiotic might be needed (Cipro or doxycycline, usually). It is MOST important to take eneteric-coated "probiotics" (the good gut bugs) during any course of antibiotics and for at least a week after. My recommendation for this would be Supremadophilus. Personally, I've never needed to use antibiotics for cat-scratch fever, but that doesn't mean it might not be needed some time. I seriously doubt I'd let anyone remove a lymph node for biopsy. The disease should be diagnosable visually and with a blood, skin or fluid (pus) culture. Hope this helps. Please let us know how things turn out. In Health, Legislative Good News! You may remember back in March ( The Decay Of Organic Foods ) when we alerted you to a threat to Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy posed by a piece of legislation called "The Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007" which was tacked onto a larger bill and would have severely harmed access to compounded natural hormone replacement therapies. Well, thanks to your efforts we are told that over 100,000 letters and calls were sent to members of Congress voicing concerns about this issue, and Congress listened! We are told that the threat from this particular bill has abated, but we are warned that it is likely to be back. The Big Pharmaceutical Companies and their lapdogs at the FDA are not going to sit idly by while women, educated as to the dangers of synthetic hormones, abandon these cash-cow drugs in droves for the safer and more effective natural bio-identical hormone replacement therapies that are produced for them by compounding pharmacists according to the individualized prescriptions given by their naturopathic doctors. We'll keep you posted on further developments - meanwhile, give yourselves a hearty pat-on-the-back for a job well done!
Men: Is Your Water Turning You Into a "Girlie-Man"? Guys, this is a subject near and dear to my, uh, heart (and other important parts too...) Did you know that some drinking water supplies in the US can change the gender of a fish? A US Geological Survey team reports finding a large number of male fish with female traits. In some Potomac River tributaries, nearly all the male small-mouth bass caught in the survey were abnormal. In the Potomac River itself, 7 out of 13 male largemouth bass had female characteristics. Some of them were even producing eggs! Gender-bending fish might not sound like a big deal to you, but this actually affects your health far more than you might imagine. The reason so many of these male fish are "turning female" is that they are exposed to environmental toxins in the water --- toxins that resemble human estrogens. We call these toxins "estrogen mimickers," and these estrogen look-a-likes have profound effects on humans. Estrogens in Men All men have a small amount of the "female" hormone estrogen. That's normal and we need a little bit to keep all our parts running right. But when estrogen levels become elevated because of an outside source --- like drinking water--- serious health changes can result. Estrogen mimickers cause high estrogen and low testosterone levels in men. This altered estrogen/testosterone ratio causes the onset of feminine features. Once muscular “pecs” (chest muscles) turn into soft, female-like "breasts buds." A “spare tire” forms around the middle and the risk of prostate cancer goes sky-high. The high estrogen-to-testosterone ratio wreaks havoc with libido and sexual function and often results in a lack of energy. If all that isn't bad enough, these sex hormone changes can cause feelings of hopelessness and depression. They can even elevate cardiac risk factors in men. You Can Run, But You Can't Hide Estrogen mimickers can show up in drinking water from agricultural runoff (many pesticides and herbicides are estrogen look-alikes), but here's the real kicker. Chlorine --- the stuff used to purify all municipal water supplies --- is highly toxic and forms estrogen-mimicking organochlorides when it binds with organic matter. This means that unless you are drinking tested pure well or spring water, you are likely consuming estrogen-like compounds in your drinking water. If you think buying bottled water is safer, I have bad news for you. Bottled water is no better than tap water, and may even be worse, on two counts: First, the FDA standards for bottled water are much lower than they are for municipally-delivered tap water. Much of what you buy as "purified drinking water" is nothing more than tap water that has been "purified." More than 25 percent of bottled water is actually tap water from municipal water supplies, and another 30 percent of bottled water has chemical and bacterial contamination above the levels considered safe by state and industry regulations. Second, bottled water "lives" in plastic bottles. The bottles themselves can leach chemicals that are "estrogen mimickers." Now do you see why bottled water isn't a good "alternative choice"? Your Best Bet for Safe Drinking Water Your best bet for safe, clean drinking water is install an under-sink purifier. The reverse-osmosis type is very reliable. If you don’t want to invest the money to do that, a simple pitcher with a charcoal filter is better than most bottled water. And don't forget your shower-water! When you're hot (and your pores are wide-open), you can absorb toxins from the water. Shower-head filters are inexpensive and reliable. A Good Water Filter is a Cheap Investment in Your Health A reliable, highly-effective under-sink water filter is an excellent health investment, especially when you consider how important water is to health. The human body is about 60% water. That means we can have 60% of our total body weight contaminated with estrogen-mimicking toxins if we drink lousy water. (And NO, beer, coffee and other beverages are not "safer"! Beer in particular can turn you into a "girlie man," because it is made with hops, an estrogenic herb. Sorry guys). The highest-rated water filters cost about the same as the cheap junk. Aquasana Water Purifiers makes some of the highest-rated filters at the best prices. Bottom Line? "Just say no" to becoming a "girlie-man" and start drinking and bathing in estrogen-free water! References at www.HealthBeatNews.com Laughter Is The Best Medicine: Why do we get all those forwarded jokes in our e-mail anyway? This touching little story might help explain... |