New Way to Starve Cancer and Obesity

Dramatically Effective New Natural Way to Starve Cancer and Obesity

Posted By Dr. Mercola | June 08 2010 

William Li discusses a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases -- anti-angiogenesis, which means preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that beat cancer at its own game.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

"Angiogenesis" is the process your body uses to build blood vessels. Your body consists of some 19 billion capillaries (the smallest blood vessels), which are the vessels for both life, and yes, in many cases, death, as Dr. William Li, explains during his fascinating TED lecture.

This is because cancerous cells, like all other cells in your body, cannot thrive without the oxygen and nutrients supplied by your capillaries.

Virtually all of your blood vessels are formed while you're in the womb, but there are still certain circumstances in adulthood when your body will grow new blood vessels.

Blood vessels are created each month to form the lining of a woman's uterus, for example. And during pregnancy, new blood vessels form the placenta, which connects and shuttles nutrients to the growing fetus.

"Your body has the ability to regulate the amount of blood vessels it needs at any given time," Li explains, and it does this through an elaborate system of stimulators and inhibitors.

"But for a number of diseases there are defects in this system," Li says.

In some cases, your body becomes incapable of "pruning back" extra blood vessels, and in others it cannot grow enough new ones.

In these situations, angiogenesis is out of balance, and a myriad of diseases result.
For example, insufficient angiogenesis (too few blood vessels) can lead to:

• Chronic wounds that will not heal
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Neuropathy
• Erectile dysfunction

Excessive angiogenesis (too many blood vessels) promote diseases such as:

• Cancer
• Blindness
• Arthritis
• Endometriosis
• Multiple sclerosis

According to Dr. Li, there are more than 70 major diseases, affecting more than a billion people worldwide -- which on the surface appear completely different from each other -- that all share abnormal angiogenesis as a common denominator.

"This realization allows us to reconceptualize the way we approach these diseases -- by controlling angiogenesis," Li says.

This is exciting, as I believe and have taught for years that your diet is the key to preventing diseases of all kinds, including cancer. Dr. Li's research explains, and scientifically validates what many of us have experienced, and our ancestors intuitively knew.

You are what you eat, and there are vast differences between a historically wholesome, nutritious diet, and the processed, chemical-based foods that pass for sustenance today.

Strategies for Starving Cancer, and Obesity

In his TED talk, Dr. Li focuses primarily on cancer, because angiogenesis is a hallmark of the disease. As stated earlier, cancer cells cannot grow into noticeable tumors without sufficient amounts of capillaries feeding them oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood. 

As it turns out, the majority of people carry around microscopic cancer cell clusters in their bodies, but not everyone actually develops cancer.

This is because as long as your body has the ability to balance angiogenesis properly, it will prevent blood vessels from forming to feed these microscopic tumors. Trouble will only arise if, and when, the cancer cells manage to get their own blood supply, at which point they can transform from harmless to deadly.

"Anti-angiogenic therapy is the method of cutting off blood supply to the cancer," Li explains. "This can be done because tumor vessels, unlike healthy vessels, are abnormal and poorly constructed, and because of that, they're highly vulnerable to treatments that target them."

There are currently about a dozen different anti-angiogenic cancer drugs that, according to Li's statistics, have significantly increased survival rates.

However, the answer to the cancer epidemic is not just devising better drugs to treat it in its advanced stages. The answer is preventing cancer from occurring in the first place, and that's what's so exciting about Dr. Li's research.

Interestingly, obesity is also largely dependent on angiogenesis.

"Like tumor cells, fat cells grow when blood vessels grow," Li says. So in essence, a cancer-preventive diet is also an obesity-preventive diet.

The Cancer-Preventive Diet

Dr. Li believes the answer to cancer is to prevent angiogenesis, which can effectively starve any microscopic cancerous growths, preventing them from growing and becoming dangerous.

But how do you prevent angiogenesis, aside from using a drug?

As it turns out, "mother nature has laced a large number of foods, beverages and herbs with naturally occurring inhibitors of angiogenesis," says Li.

So by consuming these anti-angiogenetic foods you can naturally boost your body's defense system and prevent blood vessels from forming and feeding the microscopic tumors that exist in your body at any given time.

As shown on a graph in the video, diet accounts for at least 30-35 percent of all environmentally caused cancers.

So, "eating to starve cancer" could have a dramatic impact on cancer rates across the world.

According to Li, resveratrol from red grapes, for example, have been shown to inhibit abnormal angiogenesis by 60 percent. Even more potent is the ellagic acid found in strawberries.

Other anti-angiogenetic foods include:

Green tea	Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries	Cherries
Red grapes	Kale	Turmeric
Nutmeg	Artichokes	Parsley
Garlic	Tomato	Maitake mushroom

Logically, different foods contain different potencies of anti-angiogenetic compounds. But interestingly, when researchers evaluated a combination of two of the LEAST potent teas, for example, they discovered that this combination tea had greater potency than any given tea by itself.

"There's synergy," Li states, which should come as no surprise to those of you who are well-versed in holistic nutrition.

Synergy is indeed what makes fresh, whole foods so potently nutritious! The sum is far greater than the individual parts, and this is why it's far more important to focus on eating a diet of whole, organic foods, rather than obsessing about individual nutrients.

Some Foods are As Potent, or More Potent than Anti-Angiogenetic Drugs!

In his lecture, Dr. Li shows a graph comparing anti-angiogenetic drugs with foods. It's a beautiful illustration of just how potent foods can be, because, as Li says, "foods hold their own, and in some cases are more potent than the drugs!"

Examples of foods equaling or exceeding the potency of drugs include parsley, garlic, and red grapes.

Dr. Li is now involved with creating the world's first rating system that will score foods according to their anti-angiogenetic, cancer-preventative properties. But there's really no reason to wait for a comprehensive list, because we already know that optimal health hinges on a healthy diet consisting of a wide variety of whole, organic foods.

Just like a single food contains synergistic compounds, and a combination of foods can work together synergistically, a healthy diet overall will help you prevent all manner of disease, including cancer, in more ways than one.

For example, balancing your insulin levels will have a beneficial, protective effect on a number of diseases, including cancer. And eating according to your nutritional type also has potent anti-cancer effects. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic, this is in fact one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.

Other Important Strategies that Can Help Prevent Cancer

It's virtually impossible to discuss cancer prevention today without discussing vitamin D, as the scientific evidence of its anti-cancerous benefits is truly impressive.

For example, intake of vitamin D3 and calcium could potentially prevent 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer annually in the United States and Canada, according to a complex computer prediction model.

This model also predicted that 75 percent of deaths from these cancers could be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin D3 and calcium.

Theories linking vitamin D to certain cancers have been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and understanding of its physiological basis stems from more than 2,500 laboratory studies, according to epidemiologist Cedric Garland, DrPH, professor of family and preventive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Garland is widely regarded as the leading epidemiologist on vitamin D and its relation to health. He led one of the latest studies on vitamin D for cancer prevention and proposed a new model of cancer development -- dubbed DINOMIT-- that is centered on a loss of cancer cells' ability to stick together.

The model is a departure from the older model of cancer development, which centers on genetic mutations as the earliest driving forces behind cancer. According to Dr. Garland:

"The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels. In this new model, we propose that this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over."

So clearly, no cancer prevention plan is complete without this simple lifestyle modification.

Normalizing your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure is one of the most effective, and least expensive, strategies that is available to most people. Ideally, you'll want to monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure your levels stay within a therapeutic range year-round.

Here are several additional strategies you can incorporate to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:

1. Control your insulin levels by limiting your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.
2. Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
3. Exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
4. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
5. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don't use that as an excuse. If you are a carb nutritional type you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.
6. Maintain an ideal body weight.
7. Get enough high-quality sleep.
8. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
9. Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.

Related Links:

Twelve Changes That Will Cut Your Cancer Risk

Daily Sunlight Can Keep Cancer Away

Garlic Could be Used as Cancer Treatment

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/08/dramatically-effective-new-natural-way-to-starve-cancer-and-obesity.aspx

One Man and his Shed for Longer life

One man and his shed: Why the humble garden retreat could help men live longer

• Pottering around 'lowers blood pressure and boosts self-esteem'
• Benefits could add years to a man's life, says professor

By Kerry Mcqueeney
Last updated at 9:09 AM on 30th November 2011

• Comments (10)
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It's long been cherished by men as a refuge to get on with some DIY, tackle a crossword, or even just for some peace and quiet away from the family.

But now it would seem the humble garden shed has an even more valuable role - it could actually help men live longer, according to a health expert.
The therapeutic effects of pottering around doing odd jobs relieves stress, which lowers blood pressure, and even boosts self-esteem.

Haven: For many men it's a welcome retreat, but a health expert believes the garden shed could be a life-saver

Leeds Metropolitan University's Alan White - the first professor of men's health - believes the effects could add years to a man's life.

He told the Telegraph: 'Men find doing things relaxing and that in itself is good for their health.

More...

• Why fish is good for your brain: Study suggests it can make Alzheimer's far less likely
• Those who live to 100 'avoid diseases like cancer and are healthier than pensioners years younger'

'There's a sense of achievement that men get from starting a task and seeing it through to completion. It's good for self-esteem.'

Professor White's research is due to be published in the British Medical Journal today.

Health experts are so convinced of the benefits that 'men's shed' groups have sprung up in the UK - a place where men can meet and get on with some DIY.

Pottering about: Men find completing tasks relaxing, which is good for their health, it has been claimed

There are already 20 such groups - focusing mainly on the retired - up and down the country.

Professor White believes because men feel so at ease in sheds that they are more likely to listen to home truths about their health.

The concept of the sheds scheme came from Australia and it is being backed in this country by the Men's Health Forum, as well as other voluntary organisations.

Peter Baker, chief executive of the charity, told the Telegraph: 'I think they've caught the men's imagination. Men like to potter. These are from a generation who, on a Sunday afternoon, like to pull apart a car and put it back together with a Haynes manual.'

It is hoped the scheme will offer a comfortable environment for men to talk about any health issues they might be having.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2067937/Why-humble-garden-shed-help-men-live-longer.html

Why fish is good for your brain: Study suggests it can make Alzheimer's far less likely

• Fatty acid found in fish and seafood boosts memory function by 15 per cent
• Fish-rich diet important for maintaining optimal brain health and preventing onset of dementia

By Sadie Whitelocks
Last updated at 1:47 AM on 30th November 2011

Comments (18)

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Eating oily fish such as salmon and trout can significantly improve your memory say scientists.

A new study found that a fatty acid found in fish and seafood can boost memory function by 15 per cent.

Scientists are now highlighting the importance of a fish-rich diet for maintaining optimal brain health and preventing the onset of dementia.

According to a new study eating oily fish such as salmon can significantly improve
 your memory and help prevent the onset of dementia

Over a six month period 176 healthy adults were given supplements containing DHA - an Omega-3 fatty acid found in foods such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, prawns and mussels.

During this time memory and cognitive function were assessed and compared to a placebo group.

More...

• Those who live to 100 'avoid diseases like cancer and are healthier than pensioners years younger'
• How to repair your memory: From long-haul travel to not eating enough meat, forgetfulness has many causes, but there is a fix..
• On me head son! Well, maybe not: Headers can lead to brain damage, scientists warn

After treatment, memory, working memory and speed of working memory all showed significant improvements.

It is believed that DHA could be key in preventing Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common forms of dementia, characterised by a decline in mental abilities, such as memory and reasoning and often associated with increasing age.
Lead researcher Professor Welma Stonehouse of Massey University in New Zealand said: 'This is the first robust study to show that a DHA-rich supplement can improve some aspects of memory functioning in young healthy adults.

DHA - an Omega-3 fatty acid found
 in fish and seafood is one of the most highl
y concentrated fats in the brain 

'The cognitive functions shown to be affected by the DHA-rich fish oil, namely memory and working memory, are among the most important functions of our brains for numerous everyday activities, such as working, driving, shopping, studying, playing sports, etc.

'Maintaining brain health and getting your brain to perform at its optimal capacity is just as vital as maintaining physical wellbeing and health.'

DHA, is one of the most highly concentrated fats in the brain and known to play a vital role in the structure and functioning of the brain.

But as the body cannot effectively make this fatty acid it must be consumed as part of the diet.

Researchers highlighted that as many people fail to eat enough fish and seafood, the brain's performance is potentially compromised.

The study showed that male participants who took a DHA supplement demonstrated 15 per cent faster working memory while women had a seven per cent improvement in the speed of episodic memory.

Professor Stonehouse added: 'These findings contribute to the growing body of research showing that omega-3's play a very important role in brain function throughout the life cycle, even in healthy cognitively intact individuals.'

This is one of the few studies to investigate the effects of DHA on cognitive function in healthy adults with no pre-existing cognitive disorder.

Dementia affects around 570,000 people in England, with Alzheimer’s disease responsible for around 60 per cent of dementia cases.

The NHS states a healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2067597/Why-fish-oil-good-brain-Study-finds-boosts-memory-15-cent.html
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Virus-tainted oysters bug Britain

 Winter vomiting bug alert over UK oysters as three-quarters are found to contain the norovirus

• Bug causes symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea
• Cooking kills virus but oysters are eaten raw

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 1:55 PM on 29th November 2011
Comments (45)

More than three-quarters of British-grown oysters contain norovirus, known as the ‘winter vomiting bug’, experts have warned.

A study conducted on behalf of the Food Standards Agency found that 76 per cent of oysters tested from UK oyster growing beds had traces of the infectious bug.

Low levels of the virus, which causes symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea, were found in 52 per cent of the positive samples, according to the data.

Action: The FSA and producers are finding ways to reduce norovirus levels in oysters

The FSA said it was ‘difficult’ to assess the potential health impact of the findings, as researchers were unable to differentiate between infectious and non-infectious norovirus material in the shellfish.

However, it said the results of the study would be used as part of a review by the European Food Safety Authority, which is to advise the European Commission on what a legal safe level for norovirus in oysters should be.

Currently a safe limit for the highly infectious virus has not been established.

Although most norovirus infections are thought to spread from person to person, contaminated food is still thought to account for a proportion of cases.

A BUG THAT THRIVES IN CROWDED PLACES

• Norovirus is the most common stomach bug in the UK, affecting people of all ages.
• As there is no specific cure, it just has to run its course, but it should not last more than a couple of days.
• Those with the virus should drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and practise good hygiene to help prevent it from spreading.
• The virus is easily spread by contact with an infected person, especially through their hands. It can also be caught through contaminated food or drink or by touching contaminated surfaces or objects.
• Outbreaks in busy places such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools are common because the virus can survive for several days on surfaces or objects touched by an infected person.

Eating raw oysters can carry a risk of catching the bug and other food poisoning because shellfish can contain harmful bacteria and viruses because of the way they feed.

Oysters filter large volumes of water to get their food and any bacteria and viruses that may be in the water can build up within the oyster.

Thorough cooking destroys these, but oysters are eaten raw so they may still contain viruses when eaten.

Infections linked to norovirus tend to be more common during the winter and are caught by 600,000 to one million people in the UK every year.

Andrew Wadge, chief scientist at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘This research is the first of its kind in the UK. It will be important to help improve the knowledge of the levels of norovirus found in shellfish at production sites.

‘The results, along with data from other research, will help us work with producers to find ways to reduce the levels of norovirus in shellfish, and work within Europe to establish safe levels.’

As part of the study, scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) took samples from 39 oyster harvesting areas across the UK.

David Lees, the lead investigator at Cefas, said: ‘Norovirus is a recognised problem for the sector, and this study provides important baseline data to help the industry and regulators to focus on the key risks.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2067522/Norovirus-Oyster-health-alert-quarters-shellfish-contain-winter-vomiting-bug.html

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The Watermelon You Should Never, Ever Eat

The Watermelon You Should Never, Ever Eat

Posted By Dr. Mercola | June 03 2011 | 327,018views

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Watermelon fields in eastern China are covered in exploded fruit. Farmers used growth chemicals to make their crops bigger, but ended up destroying them instead.


The farmers used the growth accelerator forchlorfenuron. Even the melons that survived tended to have fibrous, misshapen fruit with mostly white instead of black seeds.


MSNBC reports:

“Chinese regulations don't forbid use of the substance. It is also allowed in the United States for use on kiwi fruit and grapes ... About 20 farmers and 115 acres of watermelon around Danyang were affected ... Farmers resorted to chopping up the fruit and feeding it to fish and pigs”.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This may sound like a joke, but it's real alright. Seems the use of a chemical growth accelerator, forchlorfenuron, has been implicated in the widespread "exploding melon" phenomena.

What is Forchlorfenuron?

Forchlorfenuron is a so-called "plant growth regulator," registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2004 for use on grapes, raisins, and kiwis. According to the EPA Pesticide Fact sheet, the chemical is to be applied to the flowers and/or developing fruit during early post-bloom to improve fruit size, fruit set, cluster weight, and cold storage. The fact sheet explains that the chemical "acts synergistically with natural auxins to promote plant cell division and lateral growth."

According to MSNBC, the Chinese farmers incorrectly applied forchlorfenuron to the fruit "during overly wet weather and... too late in the season, which made the melons burst."

Indeed. Melons have been exploding by the acre.

Another article published on May 24 by The Epoch Times, specified that the seeds used were "quality watermelon seeds" imported from Japan. Of the 20 farmers in the affected Chinese province, 10 of them used these imported Japanese seeds. It's unclear whether all of the farmers whose crops blew up had also used forchlorfenuron.

But ruptured melon-heads are not the most concerning aspect of this story. There's also the question of consumer safety. Although no specific health hazards are mentioned in any of the articles covering this story, they do allude to the fact that there may be cause for health concerns.

Are Growth Promoting Chemicals Safe to Eat?

MSNBC writes:

"The report quoted Feng Shuangqing, a professor at the China Agricultural University, as saying the problem showed that China needs to clarify its farm chemical standards and supervision to protect consumer health. the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers."

Forchlorfenuron is in fact legal, both in China and in the US. But should it be? According to the EPA pesticide fact sheet, forchlorfenuron is not necessarily harmless, neither to the environment nor to animals and potentially humans. Side effects revealed in animal studies included:

• Increased incidence of alopecia (hair loss)
• Decreased birth weight
• Increased pup mortality
• Decreased litter sizes

They also categorize forchlorfenuron as "moderately toxic to freshwater fish on an acute basis."

How to Spot Fruit Grown with Growth Accelerating Chemicals

One of the tell-tale signs of a fruit or vegetable that hasn't been grown by entirely natural means is their inherent lack of flavor. It may look plump and ripe, but once you bite into it, it's anything but a flavor sensation. This is because while growth enhancers like forchlorfenuron stimulate cell division, making the fruit grow faster, it also drains it of flavor. This is actually rather logical, if you think about it. Flavor is a sign of ripeness, which only comes with time. Many unripe fruits and vegetables are virtually tasteless.

In the case of watermelons, those treated with forchlorfenuron are very large and brightly colored on the outside, but the color of the flesh is more white than deep red. Other telltale signs are white instead of black seeds and fibrous, and/or misshapen fruit. (Note, this is for regular watermelons, which have black seeds. Seedless watermelons typically have tiny white seeds.)

Hormones in Your Fruits and Veggies? You Bet!

This is an area that doesn't get much press. While many are now aware of the fact that CAFO raised meats are loaded with hormones, few would imagine that fresh produce would be laced with hormone additives as well. But they are. According to Zheng Fengtian, a professor of agriculture from Renmin University, hormones can increase yields by 20 percent or more, and are therefore "widely used."

Some of these hormones you might never expect to make their way onto your plate, such as oxytocin—a hormone that acts as a neuromodulator in your brain; often referred to as "the love hormone," or "bonding hormone." It's released naturally in large amounts in a woman's body during childbirth, but has also been synthesized biochemically and is available as a prescription drug to induce labor—and is, apparently, being illegally injected into fruits and vegetables in some countries...

Last summer, an Indian health minister, Dinesh Trivedi, warned about the illegal use of oxytocin in fruits and vegetables in India. Apparently the hormone allows produce to gain weight and ripen sooner. Injected produce also appear plumper and fresher.
According to Trivedi, the hormone is being used on:

• Pumpkins
• Watermelons
• Cucumbers
• Aubergines

FoodSafety.com also reported that the drug, although banned for public sale in India, was widely available from fertilizer and pesticide vendors. Potential side effects of consuming oxytocin-laced produce include:

Irregular heartbeat	Nausea	Vomiting	Cramping
Stomach pain	Sterility	Neurotic complications	Nervous breakdowns

 

Other Growth Promoters Used on Produce

Other growth promoting agents used in fruits and vegetables include:

• Ethylene (used to ripen mangoes)
• Calcium carbide (used on apples, papayas, and guavas)

While ethylene is considered GRAS (generally recognized as safe), calcium carbide "may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorus, both highly toxic to humans," according to one industry source, and most countries do not allow its use.

Interestingly enough, one of the Chinese farmers whose melons exploded reportedly used a formula containing a mixture of growth enhancers, sweetening agents, and "a calcium solution." So it's not clear whether the formula used on the exploding fruits contained calcium carbide in conjunction with the forchlorfenuron. Whatever the case may be, the results are clearly not good.

Still on the Fence about Going Organic?

If you're still vacillating on the issue of going organic, I hope this information spurs you into action.

If you eat conventionally grown produce, not only are you exposing yourself and your family to a variety of pesticides; you may also get hormones and chemical growth promoters—all of which have the potential to devastate your health, especially that of young children. Remember, conventional produce sold in your local supermarket comes from all over the world! So you cannot brush off this information as being a potential threat affecting just the region in which the produce was grown.

Organic foods also contain higher amounts of nutrients, so you're getting "more bang for your buck," when seen from a nutrition standpoint. One four-year long European-Union-funded study found that:

• Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
• Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
• Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

Last but not least, if you're any kind of food aficionado, meaning if you like flavor, organic foods simply cannot be beat. When it comes to produce, your absolute best bet is locally-grown organics. That's truly the best of both worlds. However, if you can't find locally grown organics, opt for USDA certified organic, but not imported organic, over the conventionally grown variety. Just be aware that wilted organic produce is not going to provide the nutrition that a fresh one will, even if it's conventionally grown, so freshness is also key.

There are some exceptions to the all-organic rule, which may be welcome news if you cannot afford to buy everything organic. For more information on which conventionally-grown produce are the safest, please see my previous article 12 Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic.

Pay Now, or Pay Later...

My personal view of why you'd want an organic lifestyle is that although you may spend more money on organic food today, your payoff of good health should more than make up for it – and reduce your health care costs in the future. It makes sense to me to invest a little bit more now so I can avoid paying LARGE medical bills later on, but more importantly, I can avoid the physical and mental disability and dysfunction that inevitably follows from a careless, unhealthy lifestyle.

Making sure you're not being misled by labels in your search for a healthier lifestyle is unfortunately part of this process. However, by educating yourself about what to look for, talking to your grocer, and sharing information with family, friends and neighbors, you can help the movement toward healthier food choices.

Also Beware of Genetically Modified Foods

Buying organic will also help you avoid yet another major health hazard in our food supply, namely genetically modified (GM) foods. I strongly recommend looking for foods that are "non-GMO certified" by the Non-GMO Project. For your convenience, download this Non-GMO Shopping Guide, and share it with everyone you know.

Although GM foods still do not require labeling by law, the campaign for GMO labeling is making progress, thanks to the persistence of Jeffrey Smith and the Institute for Responsible Technology, an organization whose goal is to end the genetic engineering of our food supply and the outdoor release of GM crops. If you like, you can join the fight by signing the petition to President Obama in support of mandatory labeling of GM foods.
For ongoing updates on this cause, please follow our Non-GMO's page on Facebook.

By educating the public about the risks of GM foods through a massive education campaign, and by circulating the Non-GMO Shopping Guide so consumers can make healthier non-GMO choices, the Institute's plan is to generate a tipping point of consumer rejection to make GMOs a thing of the past. 

 Remember food is a critical part of the equation of "Taking Control of Your Health", you simply must get it right if you want any real chance of avoiding chronic degenerative disease.

Source: MSNBC April 17, 2011

Related Links:

5 Ways to Reduce Children's Pesticide Exposure

Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Can Cause Damage Later in Life

10 Organic Foods That Are Worth the Money

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/03/why-are-nonorganic-watermelons-exploding-in-china.aspx
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Cholesterol Pill Taken by Thousands Causes Cancer

A pill intended to lower cholesterol levels has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

Posted By Dr. Mercola | September 09 2008 | 87,126views

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing data from a trial which found a “larger percentage” of patients treated with the drug Inegy died of cancer. The FDA is expected to issue its conclusions within six months.

Inegy combines the widely-used statin drug simvastatin with a new medication called ezetimibe. Ezetimibe works in a different way from statins. Statins block cholesterol made in the liver, while ezetimibe blocks the absorption of cholesterol in the gut.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Back in 2004, the U.S. government's National Cholesterol Education Program panel advised those at risk for heart disease to attempt to reduce their LDL (bad) cholesterol to very low levels. It’s been a health disaster ever since.

Before 2004, a 130-milligram LDL cholesterol level was considered healthy. The updated guidelines, however, recommended levels of less than 100, or even less than 70 for patients at very high risk.

These updated guidelines instantly increased the market for cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Not surprisingly, eight of the nine doctors who were on the approval panel for these absurdly low guidelines had been making money from the companies of the cholesterol-lowering drugs they were suddenly pushing onto a much larger (oftentimes healthy) segment of the population.

Now, in order to get to these outrageous and dangerous low levels usually requires multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as Inegy, which combines two cholesterol-lowering drugs into one.

Folks, it is VERY rare for anyone to need a cholesterol-lowering drug, let alone multiples.

Among the more than 20,000 patients who have come to my clinic, only four or five of them truly needed these drugs, as they had genetic challenges that required it. But if you or someone you know is taking them, odds are very high -- greater than 100 to 1 -- that you or they don't need them, and they may even create more health challenges than what you started out with.


Statins Actually INCREASE Your Risk of Heart Disease

Inegy combines two different medications -- simvastatin and ezetimibe -- into one pill.

Although the Daily Mail article above claims statins “should lead to a drop in heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems,” that is not necessarily the case.

Statin drugs can actually increase your risk of heart disease because they deplete your body of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which can lead to heart failure. They have also been linked to:

• Weakness
• Muscle aches
• An increase in cancer risk
• Immune system suppression
• Serious degenerative muscle tissue condition (rhabdomyolysis)
• Potential increase in liver enzymes so patients must be monitored for normal liver function 

Statins Have Been Linked to Increased Cancer Risk for More Than a Decade

I reported that statins were linked to raised cancer risk as far back as 2000, when research indicated that besides lowering levels of harmful cholesterol, the drugs could also promote the growth of new blood vessels. And, although this effect may help to prevent heart attacks and other forms of heart disease, it may have the potential to promote cancer as well by increasing the growth of blood vessels in cancerous tumors.

Additionally, back then, tests in human cell samples and in rabbits, showed that simvastatin (Zocor) seemed to activate a pathway through which cells communicate and act very similar to a naturally-occurring growth factor.

But the statin-cancer connection had been discussed even prior to that. A review published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association in 1996 stated:

All members of the two most popular classes of lipid-lowering drugs (the fibrates and the statins) cause cancer in rodents, in some cases at levels of animal exposure close to those prescribed to humans. ... Longer-term clinical trials and careful postmarketing surveillance during the next several decades are needed to determine whether cholesterol-lowering drugs cause cancer in humans. In the meantime, the results of experiments in animals and humans suggest that lipid-lowering drug treatment, especially with the fibrates and statins, should be avoided except in patients at high short-term risk of coronary heart disease.

Is “Bad” Cholesterol Really Bad?

It’s important to remember that you actually NEED cholesterol in your body – including LDL, or so-called “bad” cholesterol -- in order to maintain your health. There is actually no such thing as “good” or “bad” cholesterol. Both HDL and LDL cholesterol perform vital functions in your body, which is why it’s actually dangerous to bring your LDL levels down too low.

HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein) are actually proteins that transport the cholesterol to and from your tissues. Cholesterol in turn is a precursor to steroid hormones. For example, you can’t make testosterone or estrogen, cortisol, DHEA or pregnenolone, or a multitude of other steroid hormones that are necessary for health, without cholesterol. 

Even more importantly, you can’t make new cell membranes without cholesterol.
 
So, the major reasons your body makes cholesterol in the first place, and why you have LDL, is to take the cholesterol to the tissue so you can make new cells or repair old damaged ones.
 

Why is High Cholesterol Equated with High Heart Disease Risk?

If your arteries are being damaged on a chronic basis your cholesterol levels will remain chronically elevated. This is NOT the problem in and of itself. Rather, this is your body’s natural and purposeful response to healing.

The REAL problem is what’s causing the damage in the first place, such as having chronically elevated blood sugar. The sugar molecule, in fact, causes far more damage than any other molecule.

If you decide to take cholesterol-lowering drugs instead of addressing the underlying problem of excess sugar in your blood stream, you are not only stopping your body’s natural healing process, you are also exposing yourself to drugs that are loaded with side effects, such as those mentioned earlier.

The chronic damage being done to your arteries in turn leads to inflammation. This is how your body responds to invaders.

However, when inflammation becomes chronic, your body is in a constantly irritated state, and aside from likely having elevated cholesterol levels, you’re also going to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP).

CRP is a marker of inflammation in your body, and it’s also a very good indicator of your risk of heart disease.


What Drug Companies Don’t Want You to Know About LDL

Now, it’s important to realize that there are different sizes of LDL cholesterol particles, and it’s the LDL particle size that is relevant, as small particles get stuck easily and causes more inflammation. 

Unfortunately, most people don’t hear about that part, and very rarely, if ever, get it tested. Naturally, the drug companies really don’t want you to know that part of the science, because it would severely limit the number of people going on cholesterol-lowering drugs, since statins do not modulate the size of the particles.

The only way to make sure your LDL particles are large enough to not get stuck and cause inflammation and damage is through your diet.

In fact, it’s one of the major things that insulin does. If you eat properly, which is really the only known good way to regulate LDL particle size, then it does the right thing; it takes the cholesterol to your tissues, the HDL takes it back to your liver, and nothing gets stuck causing damage.

So rather than worry about your cholesterol levels, you really need to work lowering inflammation, which can be caused by numerous things, including:

• Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
• Eating lots of sugar and grains
• Eating foods cooked at high temperatures
• Eating trans fats
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Emotional stress

So, as you can see, when you get to the bottom of it, the real “villain” is often an unhealthy lifestyle, characterized by a heavy reliance on sugars, processed, highly cooked foods, and insufficient amounts of exercise – not “high cholesterol.”

Source: The Daily Mail August 22, 2008

Related Links:

Popular Cholesterol Drug Found to Have No Medical Benefits

The Deadly Reasons Not to Take a ''Good'' Cholesterol Drug

Cholesterol Drugs Actually Cause Heart Disease

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/09/cholesterol-pill-taken-by-thousands-causes-cancer.aspx

War against Cancer

Excerpt below taken from:
 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/10/2008-cancer-advances-that-make-cancer-worse.aspx



Major Cancer Advancement #1: Vitamin D

If people around the world optimized their vitamin D levels, about 30 percent of cancer deaths -- which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States -- could be prevented each year.

On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure.

If you are treating cancer it is likely that higher blood levels would be even more beneficial, probably on the order of 80-90 ng/ml.

The notion that sun exposure actually prevents cancer may still be a new one for some of you, so I highly recommend you watch my one-hour vitamin D lecture to clear up any confusion. The risk of skin cancer from the sun comes only from excessive exposure. Meanwhile, countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer because their vitamin D levels are low or deficient.

In the United States, the late winter average vitamin D is only about 15-18 ng/ml, which is considered a very serious deficiency state. Meanwhile, it’s thought that over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with 85 percent of the American public.

Optimizing your levels, either by safe sun exposure (ideally), a safe tanning bed or oral supplementation, is so important, as vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:

• Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
• Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
• Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
• Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous

Again, to find out the details on how to use vitamin D therapeutically, and doses to take if you have cancer, please watch my very important one-hour lecture.

Major Cancer Advancement #2: Optimizing Your Insulin Levels

Otto Warburg actually received a Nobel Prize for his observation of cancer cell physiology in 1934 that clearly demonstrated cancer cells require more sugar to thrive. Unfortunately, virtually no oncologists appreciate or apply this knowledge.

Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer.

Unfortunately, many of us have insulin levels that are too high, a condition that can cause major damage to your body. Your pancreas releases insulin -- produced by beta cells -- after you eat carbohydrates, and this is why numerous studies have linked refined carbohydrates with cancer. Over time, if you eat too many grains and sugars, and your body is constantly releasing an abundance of insulin, your body will become resistant to it. This means you will require even more insulin to produce the same effects, and it starts you on a vicious cycle.

High levels of insulin can cause major damage to your body. The most recognized of these is diabetes, but that is far from the only one. As Ron Rosedale, M.D. said in one of my most popular articles, Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects:

“It doesn‘t matter what disease you are talking about, whether you are talking about a common cold or cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or cancer, the root is always going to be at the molecular and cellular level, and I will tell you that insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally control it.”

The good news is that controlling your insulin levels is relatively straightforward. First, limit your intake of processed foods, grains and sugars as much as possible to prevent your insulin levels from becoming elevated in the first place. Next, exercise regularly, as this will drive your insulin levels down.

Major Cancer Advancement #3: Thermography

Most physicians continue to recommend mammograms for women as a breast cancer screening tool, but I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives to mammograms.

The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermographic breast screening.

Thermographic screening is brilliantly simple. It measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.

Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer as much as 10 years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam!

Whereas mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size, thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier.

It can even detect the potential for cancer before any tumors have formed because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis -- the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size.

More men’s lives could also be spared from the disease as mammography is not frequently used on men, which leads to most men with breast cancer being diagnosed at a very late stage.

To find out more about this safe and highly effective method of cancer detection, you can read my free report on the topic or visit my Thermography Diagnostics Center now.

How to Finally Win the War Against Cancer

When you open your mind to the world of treatment and prevention strategies available outside the bounds of conventional medicine, you find that many options exist right now to help you prevent and treat this “incurable” disease.

Treatments from doctors like Ryke Geerd Hamer have achieved a 95 percent success rate in overcoming cancer -- all by helping people to heal their emotional traumas.

A landmark study has even suggested recently that some cancers may just go away on their own, without any treatment at all.

And there is a lot that you can do right now to significantly impact your cancer risk. Even the conservative American Cancer Society states that one-third of cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight. So making healthy lifestyle changes is one of the most important ways to protect yourself from cancer.

I’ve detailed my comprehensive list of what you can do, right now, to virtually eliminate your cancer risk many times before, but for those of you who haven’t seen it, the entire list is printed at the end of this past article.

Source: WebMD December 15, 2008

Related Links:

How Exercise Protects You From Cancer

Cancer Institute Warns of Cell Phone Risks

Fungus Causing Cancer -- A Novel Approach to the Most Common Form of Death
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