11 Charts That Show Everything Wrong WIth Our Modern Diet

Reposted from Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/24/modern-diet.aspx

By Dr. Mercola

Three decades ago, the food available was mostly fresh and grown locally. Today, the majority of foods served, whether at home, in school or in restaurants, are highly processed foods, filled with sugars, harmful processed fats, and chemical additives.
During that same time, obesity rates have skyrocketed, and one in five American deaths are now associated with obesity. Obesity-related deaths include those from type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, liver disease, cancer, dementia, and depression, as nearly all have metabolic dysfunction as a common underlying factor.
The featured¹ article contains 11 telling charts and graphs, illustrating how the modern diet has led to an avalanche of chronic disease. As its author, Kris Gunnars says:

"The modern diet is the main reason why people all over the world are fatter and sicker than ever before. Everywhere modern processed foods go, chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease soon follow."

Sugar Consumption, Especially Soda and Juices, Drives Disease Rates

Of all the dietary culprits out there, refined sugar in general, and processed fructose in particular, win top billing as the greatest destroyers of health. The amount of refined sugar in the modern diet has ballooned, with the average American now getting about 350 calories a day (equivalent to about 22 teaspoons of sugar and 25 percent of their daily calories) from added sugar.
This level of sugar consumption has definitive health consequences. One recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Internal Medicine,² which examined the associations between added sugar consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths, found that:

• Among American adults, the mean percentage of daily calories from added sugar was 14.9 percent in 2005-2010
• Most adults (just over 71 percent) get 10 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar
• Approximately 10 percent of American adults got 25 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar in 2005-2010
• The most common sources of added sugar are sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, and candy

According to this study, those who consume 21 percent or more of their daily calories in the form of sugar are TWICE as likely to die from heart disease compared to those who get seven percent or less or their daily calories from added sugar.

Needless to say, with all this added sugar in the diet, average calorie consumption has skyrocketed as well, having increased by about 20 percent since 1970.

A primary source of all this added sugar is soda, fruit juices, and other sweetened drinks. Multiple studies have confirmed that these kinds of beverages dramatically increase your risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and mortality. Diet sodas or artificially sweetened foods and beverages are no better, as research reveals they appear to do even MORE harm than refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), including causing greater weight gain.

Abandoning Traditional Fats for Processed Vegetable Oils Has Led to Declining Health

Fats help your body absorb important vitamins, including vitamins A, D, and E, and fats are especially important for infants and toddlers for proper growth and development. Moreover, when your body burns non-vegetable carbohydrates like grains and sugars, powerful adverse hormonal changes typically occur. These detrimental changes do not occur when you consume healthy fats or fibrous vegetables.
As explained by Dr. Robert Lustig, fructose in particular is "isocaloric but not isometabolic," which means you can have the same amount of calories from fructose or glucose, fructose and protein, or fructose and fat, but the metabolic effect will be entirely different despite the identical calorie count. Furthermore, saturated fats, although supplying more calories, will NOT actually cause you to get fat, nor will it promote heart disease.
Unfortunately, the healthiest fats, including animal fats and coconut oil, both of which are saturated, have been long portrayed as a heart attack waiting to happen. Meanwhile, harmful hydrogenated vegetable oils such as corn and canola oil have been touted as "healthful" alternatives. Ditto for margarine.
Boy, did they get this wrong. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The hydrogenation process creates incredibly harmful trans fats, which the US Food and Drug Administration is now finally considering banning altogether. (I'll review the health hazards of trans fats in further detail below.) Clearly, switching from lard and grass-fed butter—which contains heart-protective nutrients—to margarine and other trans-fat rich hydrogenated oils was a public health experiment that has not ended well.

Low-Fat Fad Has Done Unfathomable Harm

Conventional recommendations have also called for dramatically decreasing the overall amount of fat in your diet, and this fat aversion is yet another driving factor of metabolic disease and chronic ill health. As I and other nutritional experts have warned, most people (especially if you're insulin or leptin resistant, which encompasses about 80 percent of Americans) probably need upwards of 50-85 percent of daily calories from healthful fats. This is a FAR cry from the less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats recommended by the US Department of Agriculture.³ As stated in the featured article:

"The first dietary guidelines for Americans were published in the year 1977, almost at the exact same time the obesity epidemic started. Of course, this doesn't prove anything (correlation does not equal causation), but it makes sense that this could be more than just a mere coincidence.
The anti-fat message essentially put the blame on saturated fat and cholesterol (harmless), while giving sugar and refined carbs (very unhealthy) a free pass. Since the guidelines were published, many massive studies have been conducted on the low-fat diet. It is no better at preventing heart disease, obesity or cancer than the standard Western diet, which is as unhealthy as a diet can get."

There's no telling how many have been prematurely killed by following these flawed low-fat guidelines, yet despite mounting research refuting the value of cutting out fats, such recommendations are still being pushed.

Increased Vegetable Oil Consumption Has Altered Americans' Fatty Acid Composition

The increased consumption of processed vegetable oils has also led to a severely lopsided fatty acid composition, as these oils provide high amounts of omega-6 fats. The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is 1:1, but the typical Western diet is between 1:20 and 1:50. Eating too much damaged omega-6 fat and too little omega-3 sets the stage for the very health problems you seek to avoid, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression and Alzheimer's, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes, just to name a few. To correct this imbalance, you typically need to do two things:

1. Significantly decrease omega-6 by avoiding processed foods and foods cooked at high temperatures using vegetable oils
2. Increase your intake of heart-healthy animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil

The Dangers of Hydrogenated Soybean Oil

About 95 percent of soy is genetically engineered to have resistance to glyphosate and is loaded with this highly toxic herbicide. But even if you have organic soy, most of it is hydrogenated. Hydrogenated soybean oil has, like sugar, become a major source of calories in the US diet. Americans consume more than 28 billion pounds of edible oils annually, and soybean oil accounts for about 65 percent of it. About half of it is hydrogenated, as soybean oil is too unstable otherwise to be used in food manufacturing. In 1999, soybean oil accounted for seven percent of consumed daily calories in the US.

Part of the problem with partially hydrogenated soybean oil is the trans fat it contains. The other part relates to the health hazards of soy itself. An added hazard factor is the fact that the majority of soybeans are genetically engineered. The completely unnatural fats created through the partial hydrogenation process cause dysfunction and chaos in your body on a cellular level, and studies have linked trans-fats to:

Cancer, by interfering with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer	Chronic health problems such as obesity, asthma, auto-immune disease, cancer, and bone degeneration
Diabetes, by interfering with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes	Heart disease, by clogging your arteries (Among women with underlying coronary heart disease, eating trans-fats increased the risk of sudden cardiac arrest three-fold!)
Decreased immune function, by reducing your immune response	Increase blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol
Reproductive problems, by interfering with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones	Interfering with your body's use of beneficial omega-3 fats

Besides the health hazards related to the trans fats, soybean oil is, in and of itself, NOT a healthy oil. Add to that the fact that the majority of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered, which may have additional health consequences. When taken together, partially hydrogenated GE soybean oil becomes one of the absolute worst types of oils you can consume. Unfortunately, as stated in the featured article:⁴

"[M]ost people don't have a clue they're eating this much soybean oil. They're actually getting most of it from processed foods, which often have soybean oil added to them because it is cheap. The best way to avoid soybean oil (and other nasty ingredients) is to avoid processed foods."

Wheat - A Bane of the Modern Diet

Modern wheat is not the same kind of wheat your grandparents ate. The nutritional content of this staple grain has been dramatically altered over the years and is now far less nutritious than the varieties of generations past. As Gunnars states:⁵

"Modern dwarf wheat was introduced around the year 1960, which contains 19-28 percent less of important minerals like Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, and Copper. There is also evidence that modern wheat is much more harmful to celiac patients and people with gluten sensitivity, compared to older breeds like Einkorn wheat. Whereas wheat may have been relatively healthy back in the day, the same is not true of modern dwarf wheat."

Wheat lectin, or "wheat germ agglutinin" (WGA), is largely responsible for many of wheat's pervasive ill effects. WGA is highest in whole wheat, especially sprouted whole wheat, but wheat isn't the only grain with significant lectin. All seeds of the grass family (rice, wheat, spelt, rye, etc.) are high in lectins. WGA has the potential to damage your health by the following mechanisms (list is not all-inclusive):

Pro-Inflammatory: WGA lectin stimulates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory chemical messengers, even at very small concentrations	Neurotoxic: WGA lectin can pass through your blood-brain barrier and attach to the protective coating on your nerves, known as the myelin sheath. It is also capable of inhibiting nerve growth factor, which is important for the growth, maintenance, and survival of certain neurons
Immunotoxic: WGA lectin may bind to and activate white blood cells	Cardiotoxic: WGA lectin induces platelet aggregation and has a potent disruptive effect on tissue regeneration and removal of neutrophils from your blood vessels
Cytotoxic (toxic to cells): WGA lectin may induce programmed cell death (apoptosis)	Research also shows that WGA may disrupt endocrine and gastrointestinal function, interfere with genetic expression, and share similarities with certain viruses

Flawed Assumptions About Eggs Have Worsened Health

According to USDA data, Americans ate more than 375 eggs per person per year, on average, in 1950. Egg consumption dipped to just over 225 eggs per capita between 1995 and 2000, and as of 2007, it was just over 250 eggs per capita per year—a 33 percent decline since 1950.

Like saturated fats, many naturally cholesterol-rich foods have also been wrongfully vilified. Eggs, which are actually among the most nutritious foods you can eat (provided they come from organically raised, pastured hens) have long been accused of causing heart disease simply because they're high in cholesterol. But dietary cholesterol has little to do with the cholesterol level in your body, and numerous studies have confirmed that eating eggs does NOT raise potentially adverse LDL cholesterol in your blood. Studies have also failed to find any evidence that eggs contribute to heart disease.
Testing⁶ has confirmed that true free-range eggs are far more nutritious than commercially raised eggs. The dramatically superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free-ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens. In a 2007 egg-testing project, Mother Earth News compared the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs with eggs from hens raised on pasture, and found that the latter typically contains:

• 2/3 more vitamin A
• Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
• Three times more vitamin E
• Seven times more beta-carotene

Barring organic certification, which is cost-prohibitive for many small farmers, you could just make sure the farmer raises his chickens according to organic, free-range standards, allowing his flock to forage freely for their natural diet, and aren't fed antibiotics, corn, and soy.
You can tell the eggs are free range or pastured by the color of the egg yolk. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you're getting eggs from caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet. Cornucopia.org offers a helpful organic egg scorecard that rates egg manufacturers based on 22 criteria that are important for organic consumers. According to Cornucopia, their report "showcases ethical family farms, and their brands, and exposes factory farm producers and brands in grocery store coolers that threaten to take over organic livestock agriculture."

People Eat More Processed Food Than Ever Before

Overall, about 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods.⁷ This includes restaurant foods (i.e. food away from home) and processed grocery foods that require little or no preparation time before consuming at home.
When looking at the ratio of money spent on store-bought groceries only, Americans spend nearly a fourth of their grocery money on processed foods and sweets—twice as much as they did in 1982—according to Department of Labor statistics.⁸ Pricing of meats, sugar, and flour has had a great influence our spending habits. These items have actually seen a decrease in price per pound, which has had an inverse effect on Americans' spending habits, in that cheaper prices encourage people to buy more.
The result is obvious. Compared with shoppers 30 years ago, American adults today are twice as likely to be obese, and children and adolescent three times as likely to be overweight. Pediatric type 2 diabetes—which used to be very rare—has markedly increased along with the rise in early childhood obesity. According to previous research, early onset type 2 diabetes appears to be a more aggressive disease from a cardiovascular standpoint.⁹

Take Control of Your Health

Research coming out of some of America's most respected institutions now confirms that sugar is a primary dietary factor driving chronic disease development. Sugar, and fructose in particular, has been implicated as a culprit in the development of both heart disease and cancer, and having this information puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to prevention. A diet that promotes health is high in healthful fats and very, very low in sugar and non-vegetable carbohydrates.
Understand that excessive sugar/fructose consumption leads to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance appears to be the root of many if not most chronic disease. So far, scientific studies have linked excessive fructose consumption to about 78 different diseases and health problems,¹⁰ including heart disease and cancer.
Many also eat far too little healthy fat, and the combination of too much sugar and too little fat is driving disease rates through the roof. If you're still unsure about what constitutes a healthy diet, please review my free optimized nutrition plan, which starts at the beginner level and goes all the way up to advanced.

How Curcumin Protects Against Cancer

Reposted from Life Extension
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/mar2011_How-Curcumin-Protects-Against-Cancer_01.htm?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=normal

By J. Everett Borger

According to the American Cancer Society,1 one out of every three women in the United States risks developing some form of cancer over the course of their lives. For men, that number rises to one in two. Since cancer is an age-related disease, the risk of diagnosis increases the longer one lives, making it the second leading cause of death in this country.2,3 These data underscore a stark reality. When it comes to cancer prevention, the medical establishment and drug company profiteers remain grossly negligent in protecting the public. The result is countless avoidable cancer deaths each year. There is an urgent need to provide aging individuals with validated interventions to target cancer’s multiple causative factors before they take hold. Among the most compelling and underrecognized of these is curcumin. In contrast to mainstream oncology’s focus on single-agent toxic treatments, curcumin has emerged as a potent multimodal cancer-preventing agent, with 240 published studies appearing in the global scientific literature in the past year alone. In this article, you will learn of the multiple factors involved in carcinogenesis (cancer development). You will discover up-to-date research demonstrating curcumin’s power to disrupt specific molecular mechanisms that lead to cancer—and to even treat the disease in many cases. System-Wide, Safe, Multimodal Defense Curcumin is derived from the Indian spice turmeric and possesses several active components, all of which contribute to its anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive power.4-6 In fact, curcumin targets ten causative factors involved in cancer development. Disrupting any one of these factors gives you a good chance of preventing cancer; disrupting several provides even greater protection, including the prevention of DNA damage.7 By blocking the inflammatory master molecule nuclear factor-kappaB (or NF-kB), curcumin blunts cancer-causing inflammation, slashing levels of inflammatory cytokines throughout the body.8,9 Curcumin also interferes with production of dangerous advanced glycation end products that trigger inflammation which can lead to cancerous mutation.10 Curcumin alters cellular signaling to enhance healthy control over cellular replication, which tightly regulates the cellular reproductive cycle, helping to stop uncontrolled proliferation of new tissue in tumors.11 It promotes apoptosis in rapidly reproducing cancer cells without affecting healthy tissue11-13 and reins in tumor growth by making tumors more vulnerable to pharmacologic cell-killing treatments.11,14 In addition, curcumin regulates tumor suppressor pathways and triggers mitochondrial-mediated death in tumor tissue, thereby increasing the death of cancer cells.11,15 Finally, curcumin interferes with tumor invasiveness and blocks molecules that would otherwise open pathways to penetration of tissue.2 It also helps to starve tumors of their vital blood supply and it can oppose many of the processes that permit metastases to spread.8,16,17 These multi-targeted actions are central to curcumin’s capacity to block multiple forms of cancer before they manifest. Combating Deadly Cancers in Women Breast cancers vary widely in their responsiveness to standard treatment. Cancers that depend on the hormone estrogen for survival are more effectively treated with conventional methods. Those that lack receptors for female hormones are far more resistant to treatment. This is where curcumin’s value truly lies, because it has the ability to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in a variety of hormone-negative cancers.18-20 Remarkably, curcumin produces virtually no change in healthy breast cells, with very low toxicity even at doses as high as 8,000 mg daily.21 In human cancer patients, curcumin doses as high as 3,600 mg a day have been shown to induce the following favorable anti-cancer effects: Paraptosis. A process similar to apoptosis (programmed cell death), curcumin initiates paraptosis only in breast cancer cells, resulting in their rapid destruction.22 Targeted destruction of cancer-cell mitochondria (leaving mitochondria in healthy cells unaffected).22 Disruption of the cancer cell cycle. Curcumin can “suspend” cancerous cells in a non-reproductive state within their life cycle, thereby halting their replication.20,23-25 Cancer cell downregulation. Curcumin blocks a group of molecules vital to the process of metastasis. In animal models, it has been shown to reduce metastatic spread to the lungs via this pathway.17,26,27 Arrested stem cell development. Curcumin inhibits growth and renewal of so-called cancer stem cells, aberrant cells now believed to be at the root of many cancers, including breast cancer.3,28 Curcumin has also been shown to effectively combat cervical cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in women in developing nations and a common cancer in this country.29 It is caused largely by infection with the human papilloma virus, or HPV. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects break the link that triggers HPV-induced cancer development.29,30 Curcumin further promotes apoptosis of cancer cells within the lining of the uterus and reduces the growth rate of painful but non-malignant uterine leiomyomas (uterine fibroids). 31-34 Collectively, these effects make curcumin attractive both as a primary chemopreventive agent in women at risk for breast cancer and an adjuvant treatment option in those who have already developed the disease.20,21 Prostate Cancer Defense Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.35,44 Fortunately, its long latency period and slow growth rate make it a prime candidate for prevention.36 Curcumin strikes at multiple targets in prostate malignancies, interfering with the spread of cancer cells and regulating inflammatory responses through the master regulator NF-kB.36-38 Like certain breast cancers, prostate cancer is often dependent on sex hormones for its growth. Curcumin reduces expression of sex hormone receptors in the prostate, which speeds androgenic breakdown and impairs cancer cells’ ability to respond to the effects of testosterone.39-42 It also inhibits cancer initiation and promotion43 by blocking metastases from forming in the prostate and regulating enzymes required for tissue invasiveness.44 Combating Gastrointestinal Cancers Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in adults and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.45,46 Despite aggressive surgical care and chemotherapy, nearly 50% of people with colorectal cancers develop recurrent tumors.47 This may be due in part to the survival of dangerous colon cancer stem cells that resist conventional chemotherapy and act as “seeds” for subsequent cancers.3,48,49 On the other hand, these cancers are excellent candidates for prevention, since they follow a predictable sequence from non-malignant polyps to full-blown cancerous growths, usually requiring a decade to develop.46 Much as with malignancies of the breast, cervix, and prostate, curcumin slows the progression from colon polyp to cancer by damping down the inflammatory cascade triggered by NF-kB and pro-inflammatory cytokines.6 This halts the growth of cancer cells before they can become detectable tumors via a host of interrelated molecular mechanisms.50,51 Curcumin also creates a gastrointestinal environment more favorable to optimal colon health by reducing levels of so-called secondary bile acids, natural secretions that contribute to colon cancer risk.52 That has a direct effect, inhibiting proliferation of cancer cells and further reducing their production.53 Curcumin also suppresses colon cancer when combined with other polyphenols such as resveratrol.46,54 The combination of curcumin with green tea extracts has prevented experimentally induced colon cancer in rats.55 Curcumin also synergizes with standard chemotherapy drugs, helping to boost their efficacy and potentially reduce the dose of toxic chemotherapy products, minimizing needless harm and suffering for cancer patients.45,47-49 Curcumin increases colon cancer cell response to radiation.56 A novel feature of curcumin is its ability to bind to and activate vitamin D receptors in colon cells.57 Vitamin D is known to exert potent anti-cancer properties. Curcumin is equally powerful at preventing cancers in the stomach. It inhibits growth and proliferation of human gastric cancer cells in the laboratory and is particularly effective in stopping cancers that have become resistant to multiple drug treatment.58-60 Curcumin can prevent gastric cancer cells from progressing through their growth cycle, blocking further tumor growth.60 Infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a known cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer.61 Curcumin blocks growth of H. pylori and reduces the rate at which stomach cells react by turning cancerous.61,62 This effect is again related to curcumin’s fundamental ability to block activation of inflammatory NF-kB.62 What You Need to Know: Multimodal Anti-Cancer Power of Curcumin Curcumin has emerged as a potent cancer-preventing agent, with 240 published studies appearing in the global scientific literature in the past year alone. Its multimodal effects act to simultaneously counter ten discrete causative factors in cancer development. It intervenes at each stage in the complex sequence of events that enable cancer cells to develop, proliferate, and metastasize. Its multitargeted mechanisms of action have yielded compelling results in combating a remarkably broad array of cancers, including those of the breast, uterus, cervix, prostate, and GI tract. A blossoming body of research reveals curcumin’s promise in countering cancers of the blood, brain, lung, and bladder as well. Further Preventive Potential Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gene-regulating powers have been explored in preventing or treating cancers of the blood-forming system (leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas) as well as those of the brain, lung, and bladder.12,13,63-81 Even aggressive tumors of the head and neck, often following years of smoking, are proving responsive to curcumin treatment.14,82-85 Curcumin is also emerging as a potentially effective intervention for pancreatic cancer—one of cancer’s most lethal and aggressive forms.86-90 Summary Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, and the risk of developing the disease increases significantly as we age. Curcumin has emerged as a potent cancer-preventing agent, with 240 published studies appearing in the global scientific literature in the past year. Curcumin’s multimodal effects act to simultaneously counter ten discrete causative factors in cancer development. It intervenes at each stage in the complex sequence of events that must occur in order for a cancer to develop, progress, invade, and ultimately metastasize to healthy tissue. The multi-targeted mechanisms of curcumin have yielded compelling results in combating a remarkably broad array of cancers, including those of the breast, uterus, cervix, prostate, and GI tract. A burgeoning body of research demonstrates curcumin’s potential to counter cancers of the blood, brain, lung, and bladder as well. If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027. Ten Key Causative Factors in Cancer Development More than many other age-related diseases, cancer results from the cumulative effect of years of discrete, small-scale assaults on the body. Oxidation, inflammation, stress, infection, and other physiological insults take their toll, inflicting lethal damage over time that sets abnormal cell proliferation in motion.91,92 1. DNA damage. Numerous biomolecular assaults strike at the “blueprint” that cells need in order to replicate themselves accurately. DNA damage is often referred to as the “initiator” in cancer development—the first step in the onset of most cancers. 2. Excessive or chronic inflammation. Inflammatory processes trigger the release of a host of disruptive cytokines (cell-signaling molecules) that affect virtually all cellular functions. Inflammation is commonly referred to as a cancer “promoter” for this reason. 3. Disruption of cell signaling pathways. Normal communication within and between cells assures proper regulation of their healthy function. These pathways are easily disrupted by adverse events such as inflammation. 4. Alterations in the cellular reproductive cycle. Cells undergo a four-stage process as they prepare to replicate themselves. The cell cycle itself is controlled by signaling pathways that can be altered or disrupted at each of these stages. 5. Abnormal regulation of apoptosis. Apoptosis is the process of naturally “pre-programmed” cell death that prevents overgrowth of tissue. When apoptosis fails, cells may undergo uncontrolled reproduction. 6. Altered survival pathways. The flip side of unregulated apoptosis: survival of too many healthy cells, paradoxically, can endanger the host by permitting a cancer to take hold by increasing the odds of mutation and proliferation. 7. Excessive cellular proliferation. Certain hormones and other stimuli can directly trigger cells to reproduce without safe limits, especially when the preceding regulatory mechanisms have failed. 8. Aggressive invasion of healthy tissue. This is accomplished by excessive production of enzymes and adhesion molecules that “dissolve” tissue and allow the tumor to literally take root. The word “cancer” itself is derived from the crab-like appearance of fully-developed malignancies, which extend tendrils in all directions into healthy tissue.93 9. Rapid angiogenesis. Tumors require growth of new blood vessels for nourishment. They are endowed with the capacity to spontaneously generate new blood vessels just like healthy tissue. Angiogenesis in cancer tissue is a primary means by which tumors grow. 10. Metastasis. This is the migration of cancerous cells to regions of the body beyond the locus of the primary tumor. Metastases are the distinguishing features of most malignant cancers, and the typically herald the onset of end-stage disease because they disrupt otherwise healthy tissues.

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Phase I dose escalation trial of docetaxel plus curcumin in patients with advanced and metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Biol Ther. 2010 Jan;9(1):8-14. 22. Yoon MJ, Kim EH, Lim JH, Kwon TK, Choi KS. Superoxide anion and proteasomal dysfunction contribute to curcumin-induced paraptosis of malignant breast cancer cells. Free Radic Biol Med. 2010 Mar 1;48(5):713-26. 23. Sun A, Lu YJ, Hu H, Shoji M, Liotta DC, Snyder JP. Curcumin analog cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells: exploitation of a redox-dependent mechanism. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2009 Dec 1;19(23):6627-31. 24. Quiroga A, Quiroga PL, Martinez E, Soria EA, Valentich MA. Anti-breast cancer activity of curcumin on the human oxidation-resistant cells ZR-75-1 with gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase inhibition. J Exp Ther Oncol. 2010;8(3):261-6. 25. Hua WF, Fu YS, Liao YJ, et al. Curcumin induces down-regulation of EZH2 expression through the MAPK pathway in MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 Jul 10;637(1-3):16-21. 26. Boonrao M, Yodkeeree S, Ampasavate C, Anuchapreeda S, Limtrakul P. The inhibitory effect of turmeric curcuminoids on matrix metalloproteinase-3 secretion in human invasive breast carcinoma cells. Arch Pharm Res. 2010 Jul;33(7):989-98. 27. Ibrahim A, El-Meligy A, Fetaih H, Dessouki A, Stoica G, Barhoumi R. Effect of curcumin and Meriva on the lung metastasis of murine mammary gland adenocarcinoma. In Vivo. 2010 Jul-Aug;24(4):401-8. 28. Kakarala M, Brenner DE, Korkaya H, et al. Targeting breast stem cells with the cancer preventive compounds curcumin and piperine. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Aug;122(3):777-85. 29. Madden K, Flowers L, Salani R, et al. Proteomics-based approach to elucidate the mechanism of antitumor effect of curcumin in cervical cancer. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Jan;80(1):9-18. 30. Prusty BK, Das BC. Constitutive activation of transcription factor AP-1 in cervical cancer and suppression of human papillomavirus (HPV) transcription and AP-1 activity in HeLa cells by curcumin. Int J Cancer. 2005 Mar 1;113(6):951-60. 31. Yu Z, Shah DM. Curcumin down-regulates Ets-1 and Bcl-2 expression in human endometrial carcinoma HEC-1-A cells. Gynecol Oncol. 2007 Sep;106(3):541-8. 32. Liang YJ, Hao Q, Wu YZ, Wang QL, Wang JD, Hu YL. Aromatase inhibitor letrozole in synergy with curcumin in the inhibition of xenografted endometrial carcinoma growth. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2009 Oct;19(7):1248-52. 33. Malik M, Norian J, McCarthy-Keith D, Britten J, Catherino WH. Why leiomyomas are called fibroids: the central role of extracellular matrix in symptomatic women. Semin Reprod Med. 2010 May;28(3):169-79. 34. Tsuiji K, Takeda T, Li B, et al. Inhibitory effect of curcumin on uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2010 Jul 30. 35. Available at www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-key-statistics. Accessed November 22, 2010. 36. Teiten MH, Gaascht F, Eifes S, Dicato M, Diederich M. Chemopreventive potential of curcumin in prostate cancer. Genes Nutr. 2010 Mar;5(1):61-74. 37. Piantino CB, Salvadori FA, Ayres PP, et al. An evaluation of the anti-neoplastic activity of curcumin in prostate cancer cell lines. Int Braz J Urol. 2009 May-Jun;35(3):354-60; discussion 61. 38. Khan N, Adhami VM, Mukhtar H. Apoptosis by dietary agents for prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2010 Mar;17(1):R39-52. 39. Thangapazham RL, Shaheduzzaman S, Kim KH, et al. Androgen responsive and refractory prostate cancer cells exhibit distinct curcumin regulated transcriptome. Cancer Biol Ther. 2008 Sep;7(9):1427-35. 40. Tsui KH, Feng TH, Lin CM, Chang PL, Juang HH. Curcumin blocks the activation of androgen and interlukin-6 on prostate-specific antigen expression in human prostatic carcinoma cells. J Androl. 2008 Nov-Dec;29(6):661-8. 41. Shi Q, Shih CC, Lee KH. Novel anti-prostate cancer curcumin analogues that enhance androgen receptor degradation activity. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2009 Oct;9(8):904-12. 42. Choi HY, Lim JE, Hong JH. Curcumin interrupts the interaction between the androgen receptor and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2010 Dec;13(4):343-9. 43. Wan SB, Yang H, Zhou Z, et al. Evaluation of curcumin acetates and amino acid conjugates as proteasome inhibitors. Int J Mol Med. 2010 Oct;26(4):447-55. 44. Herman JG, Stadelman HL, Roselli CE. Curcumin blocks CCL2-induced adhesion, motility and invasion, in part, through down-regulation of CCL2 expression and proteolytic activity. Int J Oncol. 2009 May;34(5):1319-27. 45. Nautiyal J, Banerjee S, Kanwar SS, et al. Curcumin enhances dasatinib-induced inhibition of growth and transformation of colon cancer cells. Int J Cancer. 2010 Apr 19. 46. Patel VB, Misra S, Patel BB, Majumdar AP. Colorectal cancer: chemopreventive role of curcumin and resveratrol. Nutr Cancer. 2010 Oct;62(7):958-67. 47. Patel BB, Majumdar AP. Synergistic role of curcumin with current therapeutics in colorectal cancer: minireview. Nutr Cancer. 2009 Nov;61(6):842-6. 48. Yu Y, Kanwar SS, Patel BB, Nautiyal J, Sarkar FH, Majumdar AP. Elimination of colon cancer stem-like cells by the combination of curcumin and FOLFOX. Transl Oncol. 2009 Dec;2(4):321-8. 49. Patel BB, Gupta D, Elliott AA, Sengupta V, Yu Y, Majumdar AP. Curcumin targets FOLFOX-surviving colon cancer cells via inhibition of EGFRs and IGF-1R. Anticancer Res. 2010 Feb;30(2):319-25. 50. Milacic V, Banerjee S, Landis-Piwowar KR, Sarkar FH, Majumdar AP, Dou QP. Curcumin inhibits the proteasome activity in human colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Res. 2008 Sep 15;68(18):7283-92. 51. Watson JL, Hill R, Yaffe PB, et al. Curcumin causes superoxide anion production and p53-independent apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2010 Nov 1;297(1):1-8. 52. Han Y, Haraguchi T, Iwanaga S, et al. Consumption of some polyphenols reduces fecal deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid, the secondary bile acids of risk factors of colon cancer. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Sep 23;57(18):8587-90. 53. Wang BM, Zhai CY, Fang WL, Chen X, Jiang K, Wang YM. The inhibitory effect of curcumin on the proliferation of HT-29 colonic cancer cell induced by deoxycholic acid. Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi. 2009 Sep;48(9):760-3. 54. Majumdar AP, Banerjee S, Nautiyal J, et al. Curcumin synergizes with resveratrol to inhibit colon cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(4):544-53. 55. Xu G, Ren G, Xu X, et al. Combination of curcumin and green tea catechins prevents dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Jan;48(1):390-5. 56. Sandur SK, Deorukhkar A, Pandey MK, et al. Curcumin modulates the radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer cells by suppressing constitutive and inducible NF-kappaB activity. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Oct 1;75(2):534-42. 57. Bartik L, Whitfield GK, Kaczmarska M, et al. Curcumin: a novel nutritionally derived ligand of the vitamin D receptor with implications for colon cancer chemoprevention. J Nutr Biochem. 2010 Feb 11. 58. Koo JY, Kim HJ, Jung KO, Park KY. Curcumin inhibits the growth of AGS human gastric carcinoma cells in vitro and shows synergism with 5-fluorouracil. J Med Food. 2004 Summer;7(2):117-21. 59. Tang XQ, Bi H, Feng JQ, Cao JG. Effect of curcumin on multidrug resistance in resistant human gastric carcinoma cell line SGC7901/VCR. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2005 Aug;26(8):1009-16. 60. Cai XZ, Wang J, Li XD, et al. Curcumin suppresses proliferation and invasion in human gastric cancer cells by downregulation of PAK1 activity and cyclin D1 expression. Cancer Biol Ther. 2009 Jul;8(14):1360-8. 61. De R, Kundu P, Swarnakar S, et al. Antimicrobial activity of curcumin against Helicobacter pylori isolates from India and during infections in mice. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009 Apr;53(4):1592-7. 62. Zaidi SF, Yamamoto T, Refaat A, et al. Modulation of activation-induced cytidine deaminase by curcumin in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells. Helicobacter. 2009 Dec;14(6):588-95. 63. Uddin S, Khan AS, Al-Kuraya KS. Developing curcumin into a viable therapeutic for lymphoma. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2009 Jan;18(1):57-67. 64. Vyas HK, Pal R, Vishwakarma R, Lohiya NK, Talwar GP. Selective killing of leukemia and lymphoma cells ectopically expressing hCGbeta by a conjugate of curcumin with an antibody against hCGbeta subunit. Oncology. 2009;76(2):101-11. 65. Xiao H, Zhang KJ, Zuo XL. Reversal of multidrug resistance of the drug resistant human multiple myeloma cell line MOLP-2/R by curcumin and its relation with FA/BRCA pathway. Zhonghua Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi. 2009 Jan;30(1):33-7. 66. Cotto M, Cabanillas F, Tirado M, Garcia MV, Pacheco E. Epigenetic therapy of lymphoma using histone deacetylase inhibitors. Clin Transl Oncol. 2010 Jun;12(6):401-9. 67. Kelkel M, Jacob C, Dicato M, Diederich M. Potential of the dietary antioxidants resveratrol and curcumin in prevention and treatment of hematologic malignancies. Molecules. 2010;15(10):7035-74. 68. Kikuchi H, Kuribayashi F, Kiwaki N, Nakayama T. Curcumin dramatically enhances retinoic acid-induced superoxide generating activity via accumulation of p47-phox and p67-phox proteins in U937 cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Apr 23;395(1):61-5. 69. Sanchez Y, Simon GP, Calvino E, de Blas E, Aller P. Curcumin stimulates reactive oxygen species production and potentiates apoptosis induction by the antitumor drugs arsenic trioxide and lonidamine in human myeloid leukemia cell lines. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2010 Oct;335(1):114-23. 70. Zhang C, Li B, Zhang X, Hazarika P, Aggarwal BB, Duvic M. Curcumin selectively induces apoptosis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines and patients’ PBMCs: potential role for STAT-3 and NF-kappaB signaling. J Invest Dermatol. 2010 Aug;130(8):2110-9. 71. Chadalapaka G, Jutooru I, Chintharlapalli S, et al. Curcumin decreases specificity protein expression in bladder cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2008 Jul 1;68(13):5345-54. 72. Leite KR, Chade DC, Sanudo A, Sakiyama BY, Batocchio G, Srougi M. Effects of curcumin in an orthotopic murine bladder tumor model. Int Braz J Urol. 2009 Sep-Oct;35(5):599-606; discussion 06-7. 73. Chadalapaka G, Jutooru I, Burghardt R, Safe S. Drugs that target specificity proteins downregulate epidermal growth factor receptor in bladder cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res. 2010 May;8(5):739-50. 74. Tharakan ST, Inamoto T, Sung B, Aggarwal BB, Kamat AM. Curcumin potentiates the antitumor effects of gemcitabine in an orthotopic model of human bladder cancer through suppression of proliferative and angiogenic biomarkers. Biochem Pharmacol. 2010 Jan 15;79(2):218-28. 75. Purkayastha S, Berliner A, Fernando SS, et al. Curcumin blocks brain tumor formation. Brain Res. 2009 Feb 10. 76. Schaaf C, Shan B, Buchfelder M, et al. Curcumin acts as anti-tumorigenic and hormone-suppressive agent in murine and human pituitary tumour cells in vitro and in vivo. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2009 Dec;16(4):1339-50. 77. Bangaru ML, Chen S, Woodliff J, Kansra S. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) induces apoptosis and blocks migration of human medulloblastoma cells. Anticancer Res. 2010 Feb;30(2):499-504. 78. Elamin MH, Shinwari Z, Hendrayani SF, et al. Curcumin inhibits the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway and triggers apoptosis in medulloblastoma cells. Mol Carcinog. 2010 Mar;49(3):302-14. 79. Schaaf C, Shan B, Onofri C, et al. Curcumin inhibits the growth, induces apoptosis and modulates the function of pituitary folliculostellate cells. Neuroendocrinology. 2010;91(2):200-10. 80. Su CC, Yang JS, Lu CC, et al. Curcumin inhibits human lung large cell carcinoma cancer tumour growth in a murine xenograft model. Phytother Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):189-92. 81. Wu SH, Hang LW, Yang JS, et al. Curcumin induces apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells through ER stress and caspase cascade- and mitochondria-dependent pathways. Anticancer Res. 2010 Jun;30(6):2125-33. 82. Lin YC, Chen HW, Kuo YC, Chang YF, Lee YJ, Hwang JJ. Therapeutic efficacy evaluation of curcumin on human oral squamous cell carcinoma xenograft using multimodalities of molecular imaging. Am J Chin Med. 2010;38(2):343-58. 83. Rai B, Kaur J, Jacobs R, Singh J. Possible action mechanism for curcumin in pre-cancerous lesions based on serum and salivary markers of oxidative stress. J Oral Sci. 2010;52(2):251-6. 84. Shin HK, Kim J, Lee EJ, Kim SH. Inhibitory effect of curcumin on motility of human oral squamous carcinoma YD-10B cells via suppression of ERK and NF-kappaB activations. Phytother Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):577-82. 85. Wong TS, Chan WS, Li CH, et al. Curcumin alters the migratory phenotype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through up-regulation of E-cadherin. Anticancer Res. 2010 Jul;30(7):2851-6. 86. Glienke W, Maute L, Wicht J, Bergmann L. Curcumin inhibits constitutive STAT3 phosphorylation in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and downregulation of survivin/BIRC5 gene expression. Cancer Invest. 2010 Feb;28(2):166-71. 87. Jutooru I, Chadalapaka G, Lei P, Safe S. Inhibition of NFkappaB and pancreatic cancer cell and tumor growth by curcumin is dependent on specificity protein down-regulation. J Biol Chem. 2010 Aug 13;285(33):25332-44. 88. Kanai M, Yoshimura K, Asada M, et al. A phase I/II study of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy plus curcumin for patients with gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2010 Sep 22. 89. Lin L, Hutzen B, Zuo M, et al. Novel STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitors exhibit potent growth-suppressive activity in pancreatic and breast cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2010 Mar 15;70(6):2445-54. 90. Ramachandran C, Resek AP, Escal on E, Aviram A, Melnick SJ. Potentiation of gemcitabine by Turmeric Force in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Oncol Rep. 2010 Jun;23(6):1529-35. 91. Bengmark S. Curcumin, an atoxic antioxidant and natural NFkappaB, cyclooxygenase-2, lipooxygenase, and inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor: a shield against acute and chronic diseases. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):45-51. 92. Bengmark S, Mesa MD, Gil A. Plant-derived health: the effects of turmeric and curcuminoids. Nutr Hosp. 2009 May-Jun;24(3):273-81. 93. Argyle DJ, Blacking T. From viruses to cancer stem cells: dissecting the pathways to malignancy. Vet J. 2008 Sep;177(3):311-23.

Why Organic Foods ARE Better For You

Reposted from Life Extension
http://blog.lef.org/2012/09/organic-foods-are-better-for-you.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=normal

By Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN

If you’re health-conscious, there’s a good chance you buy organic foods because you think they’re a healthier option — and we would agree.

However, recently scientists at Stanford University challenged this notion with a new study concluding that organic foods are not healthier than conventional foods.

The researchers reviewed 240 studies. They compared the nutrient content, pesticide residues, and bacterial contamination of organic and conventional foods.

After analyzing the study ourselves, we determined that the Stanford scientists and the resulting media reports got a lot of it all wrong.

Organic Foods Contain FEWER Pesticides

The Stanford scientists actually found that organic foods have a 30% lower risk of pesticide contamination when compared to conventional foods.¹ This is very important.

Pesticides are all over the world, damaging humans, animals, and the environment. Pesticide exposure has been linked to autism, poor sperm quality, neuropathy, and more.^2-4
Beyond that, some of the pesticides used in our foods are believed to disrupt normal hormone function.⁴

The Stanford research study also demonstrated that children who ate organic foods had fewer pesticides in their urine.

Do any of you want to argue that eating foods contaminated with pesticides is a good idea? We didn’t think so!

Organic Foods Contain MORE Omega-3 Fats

The Stanford study also confirmed that organic milk contained more omega-3 fatty acids than its conventional counterpart.

Considering that the average American diet is deficient in omega-3s, it’s important that we get as much as possible.⁵
A higher intake of omega-3 fat correlates with better measures of health, such as improved cardiovascular function and mood.⁶ However, a lack of omega-3s may increase the risk for disease-causing inflammation.⁷

Organic Foods Contain LESS Dangerous Bacteria

The Stanford scientists also discovered that organic foods contain less antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are the ones that can develop into superbugs. These superbugs are very hard to treat and are becoming more prevalent throughout the United States and the world.

Superbugs evolve from the overuse of antibiotics in livestock. So if you eat conventional meat, you’re exposing yourself to dangerous treatment-resistant bacteria. And inside your intestines, the dangerous bacteria deplete your normal flora — the good bacteria living in your gut.

Your normal flora is really important for overall health. You need these good bacteria for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients as well as supporting your immune system. Depleted normal flora can lead to things like obesity, asthma, and allergies.⁸

What's Your Take on Eating Organic?

To be completely honest, we’re not exactly sure why the scientists at Stanford concluded that organics aren’t worth your time. It could be a number of factors at play.

What we do know is this: For the reasons outlined above, we still think buying and eating organic is unquestionably the healthier way to go.

Did the reporting on this research change your own feelings about buying organic? What do you think?

References:

1. Ann Intern Med. 2012 Sep 4;157(5):348-66.
2. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Jul;120(7):944-51.
3. Environ Health Perspect. 2003 Sep;111(12):1478-84.
4. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 February; 120(2): 316–320.
5. PLoS Med. 2009 Apr 28;6(4):e1000058. Epub 2009 Apr 28.
6. Cardiovasc Psychiatry Neurol. 2009;2009:362795.
7. Annu Rev Nutr. 2012 Aug 21;32:203-27.
8. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 May;127(5):1087-94; quiz 95-6.

Studys Prove Unvaccinated Children Healthier

Reposted from VacTruth
http://vactruth.com/2014/02/26/unvaccinated-children-healthier/

A study from the 1990s has come to light, proving that compared to unvaccinated children, vaccinated children were more likely to suffer from asthma, eczema, ear infections, hyperactivity and many other chronic conditions. Furthermore, the study identified that there was a ten-fold increase in the incidence of tonsillitis in the children who were vaccinated, and a total lack tonsillectomy operations among the children who were unvaccinated.
In 1992, the Immunization Awareness Society (IAS) conducted a survey to examine the health of New Zealand’s children. Unsurprisingly, the results of their study indicated that unvaccinated children were far healthier than vaccinated children.
Questionnaires were given out to IAS members, their friends and their associates asking various health questions. A total of 245 families returned their questionnaires, giving the researchers a total of 495 children surveyed. Of these children, 226 were vaccinated and 269 were unvaccinated.

Healthy Children and Ethics

The ages of the children ranged between the ages of two weeks – 46 years (obviously some friends were older with older children). Of the children studied, 273 were males and 216 were females. (Six children were unclassified.)
Sue Claridge, who reported on the study, wrote:

“Respondents were asked to provide the year of birth, gender, vaccinations received, whether or not the child suffered from a range of chronic conditions (asthma, eczema, ear infections/glue ear, recurring tonsillitis, hyperactivity, diabetes or epilepsy) whether or not he or she needed grommets, had had a tonsillectomy, or were shown to develop motor skills (walking, crawling, sitting-up etc.). Parents also provided information on breastfeeding and bottle feeding and when a child was weaned if breastfed.”

During the study, another interesting fact emerged. Researchers discovered that 92 percent of the children requiring a tonsillectomy operation had received the measles vaccination, indicating that the vaccination for measles may have made some of the children more susceptible to tonsillitis.
The study also revealed that 81 of the families had both vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Many of these families had vaccinated their older children but had grown more reluctant to vaccinate their younger children, due to their growing concerns regarding vaccine safety.
Researchers concluded that:

“While this was a very limited study, particularly in terms of the numbers of unvaccinated children that were involved and the range of chronic conditions investigated, it provides solid scientific evidence in support of considerable anecdotal evidence that unvaccinated children are healthier that their vaccinated peers.” [1]

Although governments from around the world have continually stated that studying vaccinated versus unvaccinated children would be unethical, the New Zealand researchers are not the only group of researchers to study comparisons.

Vaccinated Children 5 Times More Likely To Suffer From A Range Of Diseases

In September 2011, German researchers carrying out a longitudinal study surveyed a total of 8000 unvaccinated children from the ages of 0 –19. As with the New Zealand study, researchers collected their data by conducting a survey using questionnaires. [2]
Results showed that vaccinated children were up to five times more likely to suffer from a variety of diseases and disorders than unvaccinated children.
Their results were compared to another German study (KiGGS), which examined a larger sample group consisting of 17,461 participants between the ages of 0 –17.
Dr. Andreas Bachmair, a German classical homeopathic practitioner, responsible for collecting the results of the survey from the website vaccineinjury.info stated that:

“Asthma, hay fever and neurodermatitis are seen very frequently today. A recent German study with 17461 children between 0-17 years of age (KIGGS) showed that 4.7% of these children suffer from asthma, 10.7% of these children from hay fever and 13.2% from neurodermatitis. These numbers differ in western countries, i.e. the prevalence of asthma among children in the US is 6% whereas it is 14-16% in Australia (Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW).

The prevalence of asthma among unvaccinated children in our study is around 2.5%, hay fever, 3%, and neurodermatitis, 7%. According to the KIGGS study more than 40% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 years were sensitized against at least one allergen tested (20 common allergens were tested) and 22.9% had an allergic disease. Although we did not perform a blood test, around 10% stated that their children had an allergy.” [3]

(As this study is a longitudinal study, the number of children being studied has since risen to 13,222. To join the study, you can fill in the questionnaire provided by clicking on the link listed as the third reference at the end of this article.)
Although there were four cases of autism reported among unvaccinated children, Dr. Bachair reported that:

“Of these 4 children one tested very high for metals (mercury, aluminium, arsenic); in another case the mother was tested very high for mercury.”

However, this number pales into insignificance when we compare it to the 1 in 88 children currently being reported as autistic by the CDC. [4]

Other Conditions Found To Be Almost Non-Existent In Unvaccinated Children

Dr. Andreas Bachmair continued his report by stating that their study found the prevalence of sinusitis, warts, skin problems and middle ear infections were also much lower in the unvaccinated children, as were the cases of diabetes and epilepsy.
He went on to say that the results demonstrated that the prevalence of many conditions in the unvaccinated children were also significantly lower. These were:

“Other disorders and diseases

As we included open questions in our survey we evaluated the prevalence (of the first 10,070 participants) of some other disorders and illnesses. Unvaccinated children show very low prevalences of the following disorders:

• Dyslexia: 0.21%
• Speech delay/articulation problems: 0.38%
• Sensory Processing disorder: 0.28%
• Anxiety: 0.25%
• Depression: 0.12%
• Bedwetting: 0.12%
• Celiac disease: 0.12%
• Gluten sensitivity: 0.41%
• GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease): 0.06%”

Dr. Bachair concluded her amazing and intuitive paper by adding a number of statements from parents, which I believe really added weight to her overall findings.

Conclusion

I find it amazing that despite mainstream media and leading government agencies stressing repeatedly that studies comparing vaccinated children to unvaccinated children cannot take place for ethical reasons, groups around the world are taking it upon themselves to do these studies anyway.
While surveys of this kind are often dismissed as being purely epidemiological and passed off as little more than stamp collecting, I believe that studies of this nature should not be dismissed out of hand. After all, many stamp collections contain just one stamp that is worth far more than its weight in gold.
These studies show without doubt that unvaccinated children are healthier than their vaccinated peers and, for this reason, these studies should be given careful consideration by all parents and professionals studying vaccination safety.

References

1. http://www.viewbix.com/v/Unvaccinated-Children-Healthier…
2. http://healthimpactnews.com/2011/new-study-vaccinated-children-have-2-to-5-times-more-diseases…
3. http://www.vaccineinjury.info/vaccinations-in-general/health-unvaccinated-children…
4. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Are Medications Stealing Your Nutrients?

Reposted from Life Extension
http://blog.lef.org/2013/05/are-medications-depleting-nutrients.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=normal

[Note from One Percent Health:   I lost a tooth as my body was starved for Calcium because of an ace inhibitor drug I was taking.  I discovered the drug blocks calcium absorption.  Because of the lack of calcium, my body began cannibalizing itself and destroyed my back molar.  Be aware of what you take, how it works and what the listed side-effects are.  Thank you Maylin for the following article.]

Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN

When you take prescription medications, the last thing you want to feel is worse. Why? Well, because the reason you’re taking them in the first place is to feel better.

Unfortunately, it turns out that a number of drugs can make you feel worse, and part of it may be due to something you may have never considered before — nutrient depletions.

Now, we’re not advocating that you stop your current medications or renounce them altogether, we just want you to become educated on this issue. It’s important, and it's pretty far off of the mainstream’s radar.

So, below we’ll explore some common nutrient depletions that can be caused by prescription and OTC drugs. Who knows? This may just save you some unnecessary frustration down the line.

Are Nutrient Depletions Causing Your Side Effects?

Some of the side effects related to medications include bone loss, an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, leg cramps, muscle aches, insomnia, depression, memory loss, and anxiety. As it turns out, many of these can actually be signs of nutrient depletions.

In addition, some of these side effects can even be mistaken for a disease, warranting the use of even more medications. All in all, this could lead to a vicious cycle of unnecessary suffering.

The good news is that the side effects related to nutrient depletions can be prevented with a little bit of education. All it takes is being familiar with your medications and the potential nutrients they may zap. Here are some of the more common ones:

Prescription Drug:	Possible Nutrients Depleted:
Acetaminophen	Glutathione
Aluminum antacids	Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc
Aspirin	Folic Acid, Iron, Potassium, Sodium, Vitamin C
Atenolol &Propranolol (blood pressure drugs)	Melatonin, CoQ10
Digoxin (heart medication)	Thiamin, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium
Diuretics	Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, Zinc
Lisinopril (blood pressure drug)	Zinc, Sodium
Metformin	B12, Folic Acid
Prednisone (steroid)	Calcium, Magnesium, Folic Acid, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D
Proton pump inhibitors (acid reducing drugs)	B12, Calcium, and Magnesium
Statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs)	CoQ10

Supplement and Eat Healthy to Fight Back

So how do you avoid these nutrient depletions? The first thing, of course, is to eat a well-balanced diet. Eating a variety of foods will help you obtain a good balance of nutrients.

Second, make it a point to take the right supplements. These days, it’s difficult to obtain all of the nutrients you need from diet alone. Make sure to take a good multivitamin along with the specific nutrients that are most likely to be depleted by your current meds. This could decrease your odds of experiencing nutrient-related side effects.

Note: Take supplements at least two hours apart from any drugs! This is to avoid any potential interactions.

Ask Your Local Pharmacist or Do Your Own Research

If you have questions about your current medications, you should start by asking your local pharmacist. Their job is to look this information up for you and give you answers. So, start there.

Next, do your own investigative work. Read books about drug-induced nutrient depletions — many of them are definitely worth a look.

Flax: A Wealth of ALA and Lignans

Reposted from Life Extension
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2014/mar2014_Flax-A-Wealth-Of-ALA-And-Lignansl_01.htm?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=normal

By William Gamonski

 

 

Flaxseed’s abundance of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and fiber, combined with being the richest dietary source of antioxidant lignans in the human diet, translates into additional health benefits beyond those of other seeds.¹ This unique nutritional profile offers unparalleled protection against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Flaxseed’s Journey

The flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) belongs to the Linaceae family and has been coveted since the Stone Age for its versatility. In addition to its culinary use, flaxseed was believed to alleviate numerous health ailments such as constipation and respiratory infections. And flax fibers were processed to produce linen, a textile used to manufacture clothing, table coverings, and body armor for European countries and the United States beginning in the late 16^th century. The three different flaxseed forms include whole, ground, and oil. Today, the major world producers of flaxseed are Canada, France, Russia, and Argentina.¹

Ways To Enjoy Flaxseed¹

1. Drizzle flaxseed oil over salads and vegetables.
2. Add ground flaxseeds into recipes for breads, cookies, pancakes, and muffins.
3. Sprinkle ground flaxseed onto oatmeal, yogurt, and cereals.
4. Add ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil to smoothies or shakes.

 

Guards Against Cardiovascular Disease

It is well understood that chronic inflammation is a significant contributor to the development of atherosclerosis. The plant-based omega-3 fatty acid ALA found in flaxseed has been shown to combat the process by decreasing the production of inflammatory cytokines. This was demonstrated in a 4-week human study where flaxseed oil use during food preparation inhibited the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-1 beta by 30%.²
Multiple studies confirm the ability of flaxseed to lower blood pressure, especially in high-risk patients. Participants with peripheral artery disease ingesting 30 grams of flaxseed for 6 months significantly reduced their mean systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg, compared to a placebo.³ And flaxseed oil supplementation for 12 weeks dropped both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 5 mmHg in dyslipidemic patients.⁴
Lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol is another cardiovascular benefit of flaxseed consumption, according to a meta-analysis reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.⁵

Combats Insulin Resistance And Metabolic Syndrome

Insulin resistance, or the inability of the hormone insulin to increase glucose uptake and utilization in cells, is the driving force behind metabolic syndrome, a collection of health risk factors that include central obesity, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension.⁶ It is estimated that around one-third of Americans have the condition, with the prevalence increasing with age and body mass index (BMI).⁷
Flaxseed shows great promise in reducing insulin resistance by modulating oxidative stress. In a human study involving overweight and obese glucose intolerant subjects, a diet supplemented with 40 grams of ground flaxseed daily for 12 weeks resulted in a 34.7% decrease in a measure of insulin resistance compared to baseline, thereby enhancing insulin sensitivity.⁸ This appears to result from favorable effects on oxidative stress as evidenced by a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation levels.⁸
To evaluate the efficacy of flaxseed supplementation in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle on managing metabolic syndrome, Chinese researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial with 283 participants who met the criterion of three or more risk factors for the condition.⁹ Subjects were assigned to one of the following three groups for 12 weeks:

• Lifestyle counseling consisting of a low-fat diet, increased intake of fruits and vegetables, and limited alcohol;
• Lifestyle counseling plus 30 grams of flaxseed-enriched bread; or
• Lifestyle counseling plus 30 grams of walnuts.

Compared to baseline, 26.6% of subjects in the flaxseed group no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome at the end of the study, the highest of all groups. Equally noteworthy, central obesity was reversed in 19.2% of participants in the flaxseed group, compared to only 6.3 and 16% in the LC and walnut groups, respectively. This demonstrates the potential anti-obesity effects of flaxseed supplementation.⁹

Cancer Protection

Unlike most foods, flaxseed offers a multi-targeted approach to attacking cancer. Research has shown that flaxseed acts as a cancer-preventing agent through several modes of action including protecting against DNA damage,¹⁰ inhibiting angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth),¹¹ reducing inflammation,¹² and blocking cell proliferation.¹³
Epidemiological evidence reveals that higher intakes of flaxseed and flax bread cut the risk of breast cancer by 18 and 23%, respectively.¹⁴ Flaxseed consumption has been shown to increase levels of endostatin, a natural tumor angiogenesis inhibitor, in breast tissue comparable to the chemotherapy drug tamoxifen. This is an intriguing finding, since it suggests that flaxseed might provide some of the same benefits as tamoxifen without the potential side effects.¹⁵
In a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, postmenopausal women supplemented with 25 grams of flaxseed for 16 weeks saw a significant increase in the conversion of estrogen to 2-hydroxyestrone, a weak form of estrogen that decreases the risk for breast cancer.¹⁶ In patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, the same dose of flaxseed enhanced apoptosis (programmed cell death) by 30.7%, whereas women taking a placebo showed no changes.¹⁷
Emerging evidence indicates that flaxseed might have a protective effect against prostate cancer. Researchers at the University of Texas discovered that 30 grams of flaxseed alone or as part of a low-fat diet significantly reduced tumor growth, compared to a low-fat diet or control in men with prostate cancer.¹³

Type II Diabetes Management

 

The primary target of nutritional therapy for type II diabetics is controlling blood sugar levels, since their chronic elevation is linked with numerous diabetic complications. In the laboratory, researchers discovered that lignans in flaxseed decrease the activity of alpha-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose.¹⁸ Patients incorporating 5 grams of flaxseed gum into their food daily for three months slashed blood sugar levels by 11.7%, from a mean average of 154 to 136 mg/dL.¹⁹
Type II diabetics are at increased risk for heart disease due to the typical presence of low HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides. This triglyceride/HDL ratio is an accurate predictor of cardiac events such as a heart attack.²⁰ Diabetic participants treated with10 grams of flaxseed powder without any other dietary change experienced a decrease of 17.5% in triglycerides and an 11.9% increase in beneficial HDL cholesterol in just one month, thus improving their triglyceride/HDL ratio.²¹
One of the most common long-term complications of type II diabetes is diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage), a condition that precedes chronic kidney disease. Flaxseed supplementation was shown to be an effective strategy for reducing protein in the urine (proteinuria) and preserving renal function in an animal model of diabetic nephropathy.²² While these results are compelling, human studies are needed.

Summary

A wealth of scientific data demonstrates the remarkable impact of flaxseed supplementation against cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Additionally, flaxseed shows great promise in managing type IIdiabetes and its complications. Opt for ground flaxseed over its whole counterpart since it is superior for digestion and absorption of nutrients.¹
If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension^® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027.

Ground Flaxseed Nutritional Facts, One Tbsp²³

Nutrients	Amount	DV(%)
Manganese	0.2 mg	9%
Dietary Fiber	1.9 g	8%
Thiamine	0.1 mg	8%
Magnesium	27.4 mg	7%
Phosphorous	44.9 mg	4%
Copper	0.1 mg	4%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids	1597 mg	Not Established

 

References

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