Archive for September, 2009

The wonderful world of change. Epigenetics brings in a new search about human development and disease.

“Epigenetics” — a rapidly growing research field that investigates heritable alterations in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in DNA sequence.

The definition is intended to address confusion within the scientific community about the distinction between the mechanisms of epigenetic memory during early development versus those of dynamic chromatin regulation involved in differential expression of genes throughout adult life. The mechanisms underlying epigenetic memory are of great importance to human development and disease, but they are poorly understood.

The proposed definition reads: “an epigenetic trait is a stably inherited phenotype resulting from changes in a chromosome without alterations in the DNA sequence.”

Only 5 percent of cancer and cardiovascular patients can attribute their disease to heredity.

Willett, W.C. (2002) “Balancing Life-Style and Genomics Research for Disease Prevention.” Science 296:695-698

Make no mistake; rainforests are not cleared in any drastic measure by independent farmers who want to graze a few steers. They are cleared by United Nations-supported corporate giants under the guise of feeding the world and alleviating poverty—all for the production of more of their patented seed. This seed, of which the U.N. and its “green” lobbyists are so fond, assumes the role as displacer of traditional food and farming all over the world. That means health-giving foods like lamb tallow for frying, lard for baking, and real butter, which the industry-led dietitians have condemned from on high, are the foods these GMO seeds are displacing. It is no wonder the U.N. has so urgently launched its campaign against livestock—these animals represent the only food source that can supply the people with enough good nutrition to empower them (both physically and emotionally) to resist the global onslaught of food police, biotech crops and chemicals.

A recent article in Business Week² reports that Brazil alone grows over 25 million acres of soybeans— all of which are genetically engineered. The Wall Street Journal³ reports that Monsanto’s stock has tripled in the last year due to Brazil’s demand for Roundup Ready soybeans—a genetically engineered plant that can withstand multiple, frequent applications of toxic herbicide.

www.westonaprice.org/farming/index.html

The Truth Behind the U.N. Assault on Ruminant Livestock

In late November of 2006, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a startling report. Its official title is “Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options.”1 References to this report have been frequent in the last year, especially on environmental and nutrition- related fronts. The report accuses the cow of the worst environmental crimes—land degradation, water pollution, acid rain, biodiversity and habitat loss, desertification, deforestation, and foremost among the headlines, global warming. Cows and other ruminants are responsible for generating 65 percent of anthropogenic nitrous-oxide, 64 percent of ammonia, and 37 percent of the world’s methane, the U.N. scientists declare.

To get a better understanding read the whole article at: www.westonaprice.org Click on What’s New in the upper right banner.

The truth is that those companies who want to genetically modify our crops will go to any lengths to keep us from the facts. Grass fed animals, working with nature, give us the healthiest foods our bodies need.

The drug companies want you to believe that cholesterol is bad for you. September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Take the time to educate yourself to the value and benefits of cholesterol.

The following three paragraphs are a snippet of the story from the Weston A. Price Foundation. www.westonaprice.org Read the press release and get the whole story.

“Cholesterol is deemed a deadly poison. Most people are afraid of eating foods containing cholesterol and of receiving a diagnosis of ‘high’ cholesterol,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Yet, having adequate cholesterol levels in the body is key to good health. The notion that cholesterol is a villain in the diet is a myth, based on flimsy evidence and opposed by many honest scientists, including prominent lipids researcher, Dr. Mary Enig. But, this theory was promoted by the food processing industry to demonize animal fats, which are competitors to vegetable oils and by the pharmaceutical industry to create a market for the sales of cholesterol-lowering drugs.”

Cholesterol is an important building block of the cell, providing structure and impermeability to the cell membrane, making it waterproof.  “Without adequate cholesterol in the cell membrane, our cells become ‘leaky’ and cannot function properly,” says Fallon. “In addition, many important substances are made out of cholesterol, including stress hormones like cortisol, sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, the bile salts for digesting fats, and vitamin D.”

Cholesterol is vital to proper neurological function, playing a key role in the formation of memory and the uptake of hormones in the brain, including serotonin, the body’s feel-good chemical. When cholesterol levels drop too low, the serotonin receptors cannot work, leading to depression and anti-social behavior. Cholesterol is a major component of the brain, much of it in the myelin sheaths that insulate nerve cells and in the synapses that transmit nerve impulses.”

The way we prepare food has a lot to do with how we obtain the best nutrients from those fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes

Tomato sauce gives more lycopene than raw tomatoes. The heat makes the lycopene molecules more bioavailable,

Carrots

Boiling is the best way to increase a carrot’s bioavailability of carotenoids.

Bell Peppers

Are rich in vitamin B6. To preserve most nutrients, steam, roast or stir-fry.

Broccoli

An Italian study showed that cooking broccoli in water best preserved antioxidant and glucosinolate content.

Read the whole article in Dr. Andrew Weil’s August 2009 Newsletter.

Eli Lilly agreed to pay the state of West Virginia $22.5 million dollars to end litigation on its illegal off-label promotion of its top selling antipsychotic drug Zyprexa. In May 2008 it was shown that even a single dose of Zyprexa for an older person with dementia raised the likelihood of a serious health event or death in the next 30 days by over 300 percent. Since Xyprexa is 25% of Eli Lilly’s sales and raking in $4.5 billion a year, they would rather pay a fine, even if it’s in the millions, than to take the drug off the market.

Eli Lilly’s second best drug is Cymbalta, an anti-depressant that carries serious risks. It killed 19 year old Traci Johnson who was perfectly healthy before taking Cymbalta.

When will Americans wake up?

For the rest of the story: www.WellnessResources.com August 25, 2009

A new analysis of data from 100s of published articles dating back as far as the 1970s suggests that current recommendations for vitamin K intakes need to be increased to ensure optimal health.

Insufficient amounts of vitamin K may lead to cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer.

Published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Read the whole story in www.nutraingredients-use.com, September 18, 2009

In May 2009, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Working Group Report warned the public about Tylenol and over the counter (OTC) cold medicines. Acetaminophen which is used in the meds can affect the liver. The report recommends lowering the max to 3,250 from the current 4,000 mg per day. Drinking alcohol creates even more of a problem.

Dr. Andrew Weil’s Newsletter, August 2009

Many times spices add flavor and zest to our food yet Americans are not use to so many of these spices.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

Cinnamon is a great hit in the East and used as sweets in the West.

While experts don’t know if true cinnamon (Ceylon, or C. zeylanicum) is more medicinally potent that cassia, herbalists generally prefer it.

Research shows that both Ceylon and cassia cinnamon lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. One-half to 1 teaspoon per day benefits blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

From Dr. Andrew Weil’s September 2009 Newsletter