Scientists say forget osteoporosis drugs - Natural approach builds strong bones safely
(NaturalNews) (NaturalNews) For countless years, natural health advocates, who suggested caution at the near hysterical and highly advertised push to put women on anti-osteoporosis prescription drugs, were looked at as unscientific health "nuts". But now some mainstream scientists are in total agreement and are even sounding the alarm about those medications. Instead of popping side effect loaded pills, say University of Illinois (U of I) researchers, an effective first course of action to keep bones strong should be to simply increase calcium in your diet and vitamin D or take calcium and vitamin D supplements.
But, you may say, you just had a bone density scan and your doctor claims your score shows you are at high risk for the bone-robbing condition known as osteoporosis. Shouldn't you follow your physician's dictate to start taking a widely advertised bone-building prescription medication?
"Not so fast!" stated the U of I scientists in a media statement.
"For many people, prescription bone-building medicines should be a last resort," said Karen Chapman-Novakofski, a U of I professor of nutrition and co-author of a literature review published in a recent issue of the journalNutrients.
The researchers also pointed out that bone density scans are anything but accurate measures of bones. Bone density tests only measure quantity, not quality, of bone. "Although the test reports that you're fine or doing better, you may still be at risk for a fracture," said Dr. Chapman-Novakofski.
Lead author Karen Plawecki, director of the U of I's dietetics program, and Dr. Chapman-Novakofski investigated the impact of dietary, supplemental, and educational interventions over the last 10 years and reached their conclusions after reviewing 219 articles in scientific journals.
So what should you do to protect and build healthy bones? The study concluded that adults who increase their intake of calcium and vitamin D usually increase bone mineral density and reduce the risk for hip fracture dramatically. While these results can be accomplished through supplements, the researchers also found that food is a good source of these nutrients, Dr. Chapman-Novakofski stated.
The scientists also warned that prescription bone-building medications not only are expensive but they are also loaded with potentially serious side effects including, ironically, an increase in hip fractures and jaw necrosis (dead bone tissue).
"Bisphosphonates, for instance, disrupt normal bone remodeling by shutting down the osteoclasts - the cells that break down old bone to make new bone. When that happens, new bone is built on top of old bone. Yes, your bone density is higher, but the bone's not always structurally sound," Dr. Chapman-Novakofski said.
As NaturalNews has previous reported, bisphosphonates have also been linked to dangerous heart rhythm problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/026027_r...).
The researchers noted that a low-sodium diet seems to have a positive effect on bone density and, in particular, they advised staying away from smoked or processed meats, bacon, lunch meat, processed foods and many cheeses because they all contain a lot of sodium and could sabotage bone health. In addition to making sure you take in extra calcium and vitamin D for bone health, the U of I scientists urge eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, too. They stated that consuming adequate protein, less sodium, and more magnesium and potassium is a great way to protect bone health.
Another way to avoid osteoporosis naturally is physical activity, specifically a combination of aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility exercises. Weight bearing exercises help build strong bones, and fit muscles can keep you flexible and prevent falls as you age, too.
For more information:
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/osteop....
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032287_osteoporosis_drugs_bones.html#ixzz1LakC3fOW
FDA approved Big Pharma drugs without effectiveness data
(NaturalNews) Consumers constantly are told how complicated it is to get a new drug on the market. After all, researchers have to jump through all sorts of hoops to assure safety before new therapies are approved for the public, right?
It turns out they may be missing some of those hoops or not jumping through some of the most important ones.
In fact, huge red flags are being raised about how drugs are tested and approved in two new studies, including one just published in the May 4th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
A case in point: it turns out that only about half of the new prescription medications pushed onto the market over the last decade had the proper data together for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -yet the FDA approved them anyhow.
The information in question is known specifically ascomparative effectiveness data. And it is - or should be - a very big deal when it comes to deciding whether a drug should be approved and sold to the public.
According to the Institute of Medicine, comparative effectiveness data is defined as the "generation and synthesis of evidence that compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor a clinical condition or to improve the delivery of care."
In other words, how does a new drug stack up against other treatments - is it more beneficial, safer, or does it have more potential dangers?
Comparative effectiveness information on drugs is especially important when doctors are making decisions about whether to prescribe a med, and to whom, soon after a drug is approved. That's because when Big Pharma medications first hit the market, physicians are relying on what drug companies and the FDA tell them about a medication. It takes a while for real life reports to come in as people report reactions, side effects (including deaths related to a drug) to become clearer.
Also, there are usually not data from large head-to-head trials comparing multiple treatments available when a medication first hits the marketplace. "Comparative effectiveness is taking on an increasingly important role in U.S. health care, yet little is known about the availability of comparative efficacy data for drugs at the time of their approval in the United States,"according to background information in the new JAMA study.
It's not like there's not money to come up with this information, either. In 2009, Congress allocated $1.1 billion of taxpayers' money to comparative effectiveness research.
For the JAMA study, researcher Nikolas H. Goldberg and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, investigated the proportion of recently approved drugs that had comparative efficacy data available at the time they were authorized by the FDA to be sold in the U.S. They also examined the availability of this information over time and by therapeutic indication by checking out approval packages publicly available through the online database of drug products (dubbed new molecular entities, NMEs, for short) approved by FDA between 2000 and 2010.
The researchers found that only about half of 197 eligible approved NMEs between 2000 and 2010 had comparative efficacy data available at the time they were approved to be marketed.
Meanwhile, another recent study throws needed light on the limited data behind the safety and effectiveness of some Big Pharma drugs.
Research led jointly by Alexander Tsai of Harvard University and Nicholas Rosenlicht of the University of California San Francisco just published inPLoS Medicinezeroed in on the medication aripiprazole, which is prescribed treating bipolar disorder.
How was this powerful drug deemed safe and effective? Amazingly, the research team found the only evidence for the use of this medication came from a single trial. And, as they described in their paper, the scientists found key limitations of the drug study that clearly skewed the findings so they appear to support the use of aripiprazole for bipolar disorder.
Did this stop the FDA from approving the drug? No way.And neither did the fact that this single, poorly designed trial was sponsored by the drug manufacturer who produces aripiprazole.
For more information:
http://www.plos.org/
http://pubs.ama-assn.org/
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032279_Big_Pharma_fraud.html#ixzz1LagclAA1
Expensive, risky surgery for periphery artery disease pushed by doctors who ignore better alternatives
(NaturalNews) Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a slow and progressive circulation disorder most often affecting arteries in the legs. Atherosclerosis, the same plaques of fat, calcium and other related gunk that clogs up arteries and cause heart attacks usually cause it.
If you have PAD of the legs, you know it can be a miserable condition, causing pain and numbness. You might think the study just announced at the 2011 American Roentgen Ray Society's annual meeting of radiologists, currently underway in Chicago, is reason to rejoice.
After all, the researchers found that a large growth in screening for PAD has resulted in many more surgical procedures, especially angioplasty (which pushes open the plaques using catheters carrying tiny balloons and is often used in conjunction with stents to keep the arteries propped open) to treat the condition. So if PAD is being diagnosed and treated, that must mean progress in treating the disease is being made, right?
That's the first impression you might get from a quick look at the new study. But here's a breaking research story that shows the importance of looking -really looking- at all the facts and not relying on mainstream media's shallow coverage or someone simply rewriting a press release.
The basic facts: the study was performed at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhonde Island, where researchers studied data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master files over an eight year span from 2000 - 2007. The researchers found that PAD screening has increased dramatically, particularly among cardiologists. Not surprisingly, with more and more PAD being diagnosed, vascular surgery for PAD has skyrocketed.
Because PAD often goes hand-in-hand with coronary and carotid arterial disease and carries the risk of arteries becoming totally stopped up (occluded) and possibly resulting in eventual limb amputation, recognizing PAD and having vascular surgery performed to open up arteries would seem to make sense.
But let's take a closer look at the issue.
Vascular surgical approaches to PAD are not only expensive; they come with a host of potential dangers including the risk of stroke-causing blood clots. And the bottom line is this:the researchers themselves admitted there is no good evidence that the increase in vascular procedures such as angioplasty and stenting work any better than natural lifestyle changes.
That's right. Despite all the pain PAD causes, all the expensive and potentially dangerous treatments that are increasingly being performed as supposedly necessary therapies in order to open up blocked arteries -- plain old exercise and healthy diet can accomplish the same results.
In fact, as NaturalNews has previously reported (http://www.naturalnews.com/025129_e...), University of Missouri scientists have found that exercise causes the collateral blood vessels to become larger and less likely to contract. That's important because vascular constriction is known to be a problem with PAD. Exercise also makes blood vessels downstream from the blockage become healthier and more efficient.
"There has been a marked increase in volume of non-invasive physiologic testing, particularly within cardiology, a self-referring specialty, and this has been associated with tremendous growth in endovascular therapy for peripheral arterial disease," Tyler Harris, MD, lead author of the study, said in a statement to the media.
"However, non-invasive therapies such as supervised exercise programs have shown equivalent outcomes versus stenting and angioplasty in this population across multiple trials."
He concluded that the growth of the surgical treatments of PAD has occurred "... in the absence of any major advance in the understanding of morbidity and mortality of peripheral arterial disease."
Simply put, countless people are being subjected to expensive surgical interventions for PAD and yet the medical community doesn't even have a clear picture of the disease that's being treated.
For more information:
http://www.arrs.org/Education/Meeti...
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032292_periphery_artery_disease_surgery.html#ixzz1LadMbvy9
Does eating lots of salt really affect blood pressure?
(NaturalNews) A new European study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association defies conventional wisdom concerning salt intake and heart health, suggesting that high salt consumption does not always lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Researchers from the University of Leuven in Belgium analyzed data on 3,700 Europeans that contributed urine samples at the beginning of the study, none of whom had heart disease, and two-thirds of whom had normal blood pressure. All participants were assigned to either low-salt, moderate-salt, or high-salt diets, and were then evaluated over the course of eight years.
At the conclusion of the study, the research team observed that heart and blood vessel disease rates did not differ among the salt intake groups. However, four percent of those in the low-salt group died from heart disease, while only one percent died in the high-salt group, indicating that low-salt diets may actually be more of a health risk than high-salt diets.
Additionally, roughly 25 percent of all participants, no matter what group they were assigned to, ended up with high blood pressure during or at the completion of the study. Overall, there were no significant differences observed between salt intake groups, other than a slight increase in systolic blood pressure among those in the high-salt groups. But researchers say the increase was so small that it is likely inconsequential.
"It's clear that one should be very careful in advocating generalized reduction in sodium intake in the population at large," stated Dr. Jan Staessen, author of the study. "There might be some benefits, but there might also be some adverse effects."
It is unclear precisely what type of sodium was used in the study. Highly processed, synthetic salts, and other artificial salt additives, are highly toxic to the body. Natural, unrefined, full-spectrum sea and mineral salts, on the other hand, provide the body with necessary trace minerals, as well as beneficial sodium that helps keep the body properly hydrated (http://www.naturalnews.com/028724_H...).
Sources for this story include:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011...
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032299_salt_blood_pressure.html#ixzz1LaaWNWRM
Nuclear plant workers release unknown amount of radioactive tritium into Mississippi River
(NaturalNews) Workers at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant in Port Gibson, Miss., last Thursday released a large amount of radioactive tritium directly into the Mississippi River, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and experts are currently trying to sort out the situation. An investigation is currently underway to determine why the tritium was even present in standing water found in an abandoned unit of the plant, as well as how much of this dangerous nuclear byproduct ended up getting dumped into the river. Many also want to know why workers released the toxic tritium before conducting proper tests.
The MississippiNatchez Democratreports that crews first discovered the radioactive water in the plant's Unit 2 turbine building after heavy rains began hitting the area last week. Unit 2 was a partially-constructed, abandoned structure that should not have contained any radioactive materials, let alone tritium, which is commonly used to manufacture nuclear weapons and test atomic bombs (http://www.nirs.org/radiation/triti...).
According to reports, alarms began to go off as workers were releasing the radioactive storm water into the river, which engaged the stop flow on the release pump. Neither NRC nor plant officials know how much tritium was released into the river during this release.
"Although concentrations of tritium exceeded EPA drinking water limits, the release should not represent a hazard to public health because of its dilution in the river," insisted Lara Uselding, public affairs officer at NRC Region IV, to reporters.
Such a statement, of course, is a health concern because precise levels of released tritium are unknown. Just because the radioactive substance has been diluted does not necessarily mean it is harmless, nor does it verify the substance's source or whether or not it is still being unknowingly released. Without this crucial information, there is no telling where else tritium might be lurking around the plant and river.
A beta radioactive substance, tritium bombards cells and damages DNA when inhaled or swallowed, and can persist in the body for more than ten years upon exposure. Its perpetual effect on cells can lead to all sorts of serious diseases, including, but not limited to, gene mutations, birth defects, and cancer.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2011...
http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2011/may/...
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032303_tritium_nuclear_power_plant.html#ixzz1LaYIKQ4a
Beat ADHD naturally
(NaturalNews) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently surveyed 73,000 children and found one in 10 has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is a 22% increase since 2003. Research has shown that toxic and deficient lifestyle patterns are the chief contributing factor for this disorder. Natural lifestyle solutions can prevent and reverse ADHD.
Many researchers consider chronic ADHD symptoms a sign of mild-moderate brain damage. When regions of the brain are chronically inflamed it signals the primitive regions of the brain to be on overdrive. This inhibits frontal lobe function which is the region responsible for concentration and emotional stability. The primitive regions on overdrive include the reticular activating system and limbic system. When this primitive brain is imbalanced it leads to poor concentration and emotional outbursts.
ADHD is commonly caused by an inflammatory based diet and toxic food additives. These food additive chemicals are mild-moderately neurotoxic. They also have a strong synergistic effect when combined with sugars such as fructose. A recent Lancet study concluded that food dyes along with the preservative sodium benzoate (found in many soft drinks, fruit juices, & salad dressings) cause many children to become significantly more hyperactive and distractible. This study also found that food additives and dyes can do as much damage to children's brains as lead in gasoline.
Digestive problems can also dramatically affect brain function and development. A common factor with ADHD is a weak intestinal system and food allergies. Often times a Candida infection is present and producing brain damaging toxic metabolites. It is wise to address the gut and allow it to heal by avoiding allergens and supplementing with high quality Probiotics.
The most common food allergens to avoid include all pasteurized dairy products and gluten containing grains such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, kamut, & spelt. Soy products, some nuts, eggs, and heavy proteins are often not tolerated well. Other allergens include those of the nightshade family such as eggplant, tomatoes, & potatoes.
An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle are critical for full recovery from this condition. Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and give it a more accurate pair of eyes so as to not over-inflame when stimulated. To effectively de-inflame it is key to completely avoid man-made foods, sugars, and food allergens as listed above. The long chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are critical for brain function.
Healthy movement patterns produce proprioception (movement information) which is a critical essential for healthy brain enhancing and neurodevelopmental patterns. Boosting proprioceptive input through good posture and spinal function is critical for healthy brain development. Regular chiropractic care along with spinal hygiene exercises are essential lifestyle factors for healthy neurological function.
Children, teenagers, & adults with ADHD symptoms do very well with a regular exercise program that incorporates core stability and functional balance training. Many hyperactive kids are naturally drawn to activities such as rebounding and jumping on a trampoline as well as balance sports such as skating, surfing and snowboarding. All of these dynamic balance based activities powerfully enhance proprioceptive input into the brain.
Other critical nutrients that are key for brain function include Vitamin D, Folic acid, Pyridoxine (B6), Vitamin B12, Zinc, CoQ10, and trace minerals. Vitamin D levels should be between 60-100 ng/ml. Boost Vitamin D naturally with 20-60 minutes of healthy sunlight every day or 5,000-50,000 IU of emulsified vitamin D3 daily to get the levels where they should be. A raw, whole-food multi-vitamin that supplies ample amounts of folic acid (400 mcg), B6 (4mg), B12(100 mcg), Zinc (15 mg), trace minerals, & CoQ10 (500 mcg) should be consumed daily.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...
http://www.health.com/health/galler...
http://www.naturalnews.com/031916_d...
About the author
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032275_ADHD_natural_remedies.html#ixzz1LamZZJAx
Many types of organic compost are really packaged human sewage
(NaturalNews) Do you want everything that goes down your drain winding up on your backyard produce? Well that's what happens to those who use organic compost made with municipal sewage.
More than half of the 15 trillion gallons of sewage flushed annually by Americans ends up in a fertilizer product and those products contain everything that goes down the drain from Prozac flushed down toilets to the motor oil rinsed off factory floors (http://motherjones.com/environment/...). The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't regulate whichfertilizerscan be labeled as "organic" which means anyone can use the term, including those companies that are packaging what we flush.
A 2009 EPA survey of U.S. sludge samples found 12 pharmaceuticals, 10 flame retardants, and high levels of endocrine disruptors such at triclosan, an antibacterial soap ingredient that scientists believe is killing amphibians.
In communities where sludge has been used, effects on the community have been reported by ailing residents with complaints ranging from migraines to pneumonia to mysterious deaths. In an often-cited 1994 episode, an 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy died of a staph infection after biking through sludge at an abandoned mine (http://motherjones.com/environment/...).
Marketed with near zero regulation
With those kinds of risks associated with the use of sewage sludge, compost consumers should know whether sludge permeates their choice of product. But compost products, such as Kellogg's Amend, do not list sludge or even "biosolids" on their label and instead just list the vague term "compost" (http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/...).
Although the USDA banned the use of sludge in organic agriculture, it does not regulate which fertilizers for private use can be labeled as organic. And the nonprofit U.S. Composting Council is no better, using its green image for the Orwellian rebranding of sludge while biosolids companies sit on its board of directors and sponsor the councils Composting Week, according to Mother Jones. (http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/...)
Dodge the sludge
If you want to keep the sludge and its chemical contaminants out of your organic garden, there are many alternative fertilizer choices that will keep your garden green -- in both senses of the word.
Some mineral-based fertilizers that will work over the long term include Epsom salt, gypsum, limestone and greensand. These rocks add essential minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, sulfur and phosphorus to the soil (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conte...).
For more immediate results, plant and animal-based products will increase soil fertility and soil health. These include alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, kelp/seaweed, blood meal, bone meal, fish products, manure and compost.
Do it yourself
Compost adds organic matter and helps to make nutrients available in the soil, and, if you want to have control over what goes into your own garden, making your own compost is the way to go. There are many methods for making your own compost: you can make a traditional compost pile; make a composting bin, if you live in the city (http://www.organicgardening.com/lea...); or, if you are really adventurous, use a composting toilet (http://www.organicauthority.com/org...).
Just remember, if you go the humanure route, whatever you eat will end up in your compost, so if you are eating conventional food with chemical fertilizers or food additives, or if you are taking prescription medicines, it will all end up in the compost and on your plants. So if you want the highest quality food for your garden, make sure you are eating the highest quality food yourself.
Commercial products
If you don't have the time to make your own compost but still want to avoid the sludge, there are plenty of commercial products that will work just as well. Look for products like Buffaloam (http://www.buffaloam.com/about-us/), which is made from 100 percent buffalo manure produced and composted on a ranch in the Laramie River Valley of northern Colorado. The company uses no mixed feedstocks, no blends, no added chemicals, no artificial ingredients, and no unknown fillers or waste products. The company makes it by blending buffalo manure with locally produced wood shavings that are composted for over a year. Look for similar claims on other products and make sure that the wood shavings that are used are not chemically treated or those chemicals will end up in your food too.
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032305_organic_compost_human_sewage.html#ixzz1LaWTniEI
