Things They Don’t Teach You

Now this should be an interesting study!

A massive, National Institutes of Health–sponsored study looking at whether vitamin-D and/or omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, or cancer will get under way in January 2010, according to a website for the study. Drs JoAnn Manson and Julie Buring (Harvard Medical School/ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA) will head up the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL).

The study is aiming to enroll 20 000 men and women, one-quarter of whom will be black.

According to a Brigham and Women’s Hospital press release, the study is intentionally aiming to illuminate a potential racial and ethnic disparity hypothesized to be linked to vitamin D [1]. “African Americans have a higher risk of vitamin-D deficiency as well as a greater frequency of diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer.”    For VITAL, women need to be over age 65 to enter the study; men need to be over age 60.

Study participants will be randomized to one of four groups: daily vitamin D (2000 IU) and fish oil (1 g); daily vitamin D and fish-oil placebo; daily vitamin-D placebo and fish oil; or daily vitamin-D placebo and fish-oil placebo. The trial will run for five years and is expected to cost US $20 million.

In a related article,  investigators are reporting that more than one third of mothers and more than half of their infants are vitamin D-deficient at the time of birth.

What’s more, the data, released at Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting 2009, demonstrate that prenatal vitamin D supplements do not fully protect against deficiency.

Anne Merewood, MPH, Director of the Breastfeeding Center at Boston Medical Center, and associates examined vitamin D levels in 433 women and 376 newborns using blood samples obtained within 72 hours of birth. They also collected data from questionnaires completed by the mothers and from the mothers’ medical records.

The results showed that vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D <20 ng/mL) was present in 36% of mothers and severe deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D <15 ng/mL) was present in 23%.

Fifty-eight percent of infants were vitamin D deficient and 38% were severely deficient.

Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in infants included winter birth versus summer birth, African American race, and severe maternal obesity.

For years, the staggering benefits of probiotics have been ignored by “official medicine.”  Patients in hospitals for extended periods of time were found to develop bed sores rapidly, and generally spiral downhill the longer they stayed in the hospital  — except for people in the country whose families brought them raw sauerkraut and/or raw yogurt.  These people seemed to fair better than others.

 

We now know there are good bugs and bad bugs.  The bad bugs can be beaten down and out-competed by the good bugs.  Additionally, good bugs produce a wealth of by-products, e.g., vitamins and enzymes.

 

Now, as Dannon and every other mega food corporation jumps on the band wagon, so too does the medical establishment.

 

The publishing of a new study states that a variety of ailments in children can be averted, and kids are actually healthier if they eat these bugs.

The subjects (kids) took probiotics (or placebo) twice a day over a 6-month period during the 2005-2006 winter season. The children were randomized into 3 groups, with 1 treatment group receiving Lactobacillus acidophilus (single-agent) in a powder and the second treatment group receiving a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis (combination), also as a powder. The control group received a powder placebo that was indistinguishable from the treatment granules.

All participants took their powders twice a day with milk. Weekday administrations were conducted by preschool personnel, and families administered the compounds on weekends.

Episodes of illness were recorded by either the preschool staff (weekdays) or parents (weekends) in symptom diaries.  The authors also evaluated absenteeism from school via school record review.

Three hundred twenty-six children were randomized, with 104-112 subjects per group having complete data at the end of the study.

 

When looking at school attendance, 28% of all children were absent at least 1 day during the study period, but this rate was much higher among placebo children (49%) compared to either treatment group (18% each).

The single-agent group had lower rates of fever, cough, and use of antibiotics compared to placebo, while the combination treatment group had lower rates of fever, cough, rhinorrhea, and antibiotic use compared to placebo. For almost all symptoms, the combination group had rates lower than those of the single-agent group (eg, 6-month incidence rate of “fever” was 64% in placebo, 28% in single-agent treated, and 16% in combination agent treated subjects).

 

The authors conclude that use of probiotics reduced the incidence and duration of upper respiratory symptoms and antibiotic use. The authors also suggest that there appeared to be a trend toward a greater effect among participants in the combined treatment group compared to the single-agent treatment group.

Viewpoint

These data are interesting for the magnitude of potential benefit they show. Reducing preschool absentee rates by > 50% is remarkable.  But, really now, couldn’t they have just asked Great-Grandma?  She already knew the secret!

 

Unbelievably, the FDA has done something useful?!?!   I know, its astounding, but they are publishing the drugs that represent serious risks to patients. So, here is the new list. If you’re taking any of these drugs, beware.

From US Department of Health & Human Services, US Food and Drug Administration. Available at:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Surveillance/AdverseDrugEffects/
ucm161063.htm Accessed

October 1, 2009.[2]

 

Legend

Low sugar = Normal diet; honey and stevia primary sweetners

Normal fat = cheese occasionally, olive oil & unprocessed coconut oil

High sugar = Lots of honey, not so restrictive on labels and white sugar

High fat = cheese on a daily basis, brie, gouda, lots of oils, cheese snacks, butter

Extreme fat = Cheese at every meal, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil at most meals.

In this experiment, I sought to prove that either sugar or fat affects cholesterol.  I strictly altered my diet based on processed sugar or fats.  I tracked every gram of sugar I ate!  The results are clear that sugar affects cholesterol, NOT fats.  From this, we can extrapolate that any HFC (high fructose corn syrup) or processed sugar that we eat, will cause an insulin spike, which will in turn damage you.

Conclusion: Unless it is a genetic propensity (rare), cholesterol can be controlled by excluding high processed foods (sugar); and drug therapy is not needed. I may die early from one of my experiments, but it will not be from high cholesterol.

For me, this validates the Tokelau Island Study which came to the same conclusion: eat what God made; processed foods are un-natural and lead to disease. Accelerated aging occurs from processed sugar as it causes hyper insulin spikes. Insulin is good in small amounts, but becomes damaging and toxic in larger, continuous amounts (typical high sugar Western diet). Which in turn grants Americans the worst heart disease in the world.

Summary of Tokelau Study: 1971-1982, researchers collected data from Tokelau natives, and from Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand. They monitored cholesterol levels, blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings.

Tokelauan diet is based on coconut, fish, starchy tubers and fruit. By 1982, large amounts of processed flour and sugar was now in their diets. Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand had a much more Western diet; more carbohydrates, coming from wheat, sugar and potatoes; more processed sweet foods and drinks; more red meat; more vegetables; more dairy and eggs. Sugar intake was 8 percent on Tokelau, but increased to 13 percent in New Zealand. Saturated fat intake was cut in half in New Zealand. Tokelauans traditionally obtained 40-50% of their calories from saturated fat.

So we would expect heart disease and cholesterol to be dramatically lower for immigrants to New Zealand because they dramatically cut their saturated fat, right?

After moving to New Zealand and eating the Western diet of high sugar and processed foods, what was the results?

Blood pressure: Males were 3x as likely to be hypertensive; Women 2x.

Cholesterol: LDL was elevated; triglycerides were elevated.

Unrelated to this story is Dr. Ravnskov [L1] . He has pointed out that the correlation between saturated fat intake and blood cholesterol is very weak, as is the correlation between blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Another interesting study is the Kitavans of Papua New Guinea. Kitavans eat a diet composed of yams, sweet potato, taro and cassava, fruit, vegetables, coconut and fish. Grains, refined sugar, vegetable oils and processed foods are nonexistent on Kitava.

Kitavans have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of approximately 1:2. Average calorie intake is 2,200 calories per day. Their diet is high in carbohydrate, high in saturated fat, low in total fat, low in protein, high in calories.

Here is the Kitava Study. I added the highlight to the last line:

Lindeberg S, Lundh B.

Primary Health Care Centre, Sjöbo, Sweden.

On the island of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, a subsistence lifestyle, uninfluenced by western dietary habits, is still maintained. Tubers, fruit, fish and coconut are dietary staples. Of the total population, 1816 subjects were estimated to be older than 3 years and 125 to be 60-96 years old. The frequencies of spontaneous sudden death, exertion-related chest pain, hemiparesis, aphasia and sudden imbalance were assessed by semi-structured interviews in 213 adults aged 20-96. Resting electrocardiograms (ECG’s) were recorded in 119 males and 52 females. No case corresponding to stroke, sudden death or angina pectoris was described by the interviewed subjects. Minnesota Code (MC) items 1-5 occurred in 14 ECG’s with no significant relation to age, gender or smoking. ST items (MC 4.2 and 4.3) were found in two females and Q items (MC 1.1.2, 1.3.2 and 1.3.3) in three males. Stroke and ischaemic heart disease appear to be absent in this population.

Lee Turner Experiment #19: Why do women live longer than men?

Unfortunately, there is no way to document this experiment until after I am dead. There is a theory, with comfortable corroborating data, that the premise of estrogen as the reason for female longevity is flawed. Point of fact, aside from a few benefits, estrogen is quite destructive; ask any estrogen dependent cancer victim.

The theory goes that the routine blood loss associated with menses is actually the cause of the 10 year longevity advantage. This has to do with blood viscosity.

Imagine a water hose running distilled water; this water hose will last longer because there are no micro-rocks eating away at the lining. Add some sand to the water, and the hose won’t last long – eaten away from the inside out. If you add enough sand, the water viscosity increases (becomes thick) to the point that the water pressure just won’t push it.

Atherosclerosis doesn’t happen all over your body; just primarily at vessels junctures, branches. Edies, turbulent blood is created here. The vessels become wounded and patches are applied. This in turn damages red blood cells (RBCs).

Around 120 days they are worn out and need replacing by the spleen and liver. But until this happens, the stiff inflexible RBCs are forced through the smaller capillaries causing more damage (more pressure).

Menstruating women are producing millions of new healthy RBCs each month and getting rid of the worn out damage producing ones.

Blood viscosity may be the answer; or one of many combined with estrogen and iron accumulation (this causes ventricular hypertrophy in men).

Fat cells produce estrogen, store toxic materials. So routine blood donation lowers blood viscosity, lowers iron accumulation, and weight loss lowers toxins and estrogen. Now I have to figure a way to study this in myself!?!

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Lemmings are small rodents, usually near the Arctic.  There is a common misconception that lemmings perform mass suicides, following each other over a cliff.  This is true and its false.  They are driven by powerful biological urges to migrate when their population gets too big.  The Norway lemming in Scandinavia will migrate until they reach a cliff overlooking the ocean.  They will stop, but the urge to migrate is too powerful and they jump off, attempt to swim in the ocean, get exhausted, and drown.  As the lead lemmings jump off, the rear lemmings blindly follow to their deaths.

 

Oddly enough, people have developed this dependency mindset as well.  We depend on the government to take care of all our needs.  However, it soon becomes apparent that the government is just as incompetent as everyone else; since the government is made up of flawed people.

 

We depend on the pharmaceutical companies to produce miraculous medicines to fix our every ill.  However, we soon discover that Baycol, Bextra, Fen-Phen, Vioxx, Permax, Posicor, Propulsid, Raplon, Raxar, Redux, Rezulin, Seldane, and Zelnorm (just to name a few) are not the miracle drugs we were told; and in fact are quite harmful (they have all since been recalled).

 

It is important not to be a healthcare lemming; don’t follow the crowd.  The crowd can get you damaged, even killed.

 

As you may know, I am not a big fan of most vaccines; there are a few that are worthy and must be taken, but most are not.  The flu vaccine is one of those which I have NOT taken in years.  But am I foolish to risk 4-7 days of misery?  Or smart to avoid the documented cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, as well as the corresponding decrease in longevity of those who routinely take the flu vaccine?  Remember the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination program?  Horrible!

Lets look at some data.  During the last 20 years, flu vaccinations among seniors has jumped from 15% to 65%.  BUT, there has not been a corresponding decrease in hospital admissions or mortality.  Hmmm..  that seems odd.

A Canadian study used 704 people.  Half got the flu shot; half did not.  85% of these people were over 64 years old.  29% of the group came down with pneumonia, and 12% died.  Only 8% of the vaccinated group died… Oh my God, the flu vaccine saved 50% of them from death!!!  Several other studies have said the same thing.  I have to rush out and get my shot!

 

But, wait, lets take a closer look.  The researchers in this study adjusted for factors like age, gender, co-existing illness, and also one more thing — the “healthy-user effect.”  This has not been considered in other studies.

Dr. Sumit Majumdar, the lead researcher, describes the healthy-user effect as an already healthy patient that practices a healthy lifestyle — exercises regularly, not overweight, doesn’t smoke, drinks in moderation, takes supplements.

 

When you take the healthy-user effect into consideration, the flu vaccine didn’t have any effect on mortality.  If someone is already living a healthy lifestyle, they have a better chance of surviving the flu than someone who is obese, smokes, and is already damaged.

So despite data that shows no benefit to the flu vaccine, like lemmings, many of us will risk it anyway.  Oh, by the way, they’re still using mercury preservatives in the multi-dose vials of seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 vaccine.

 

Getting lots of sleep, and adopting a healthy lifestyle will serve you far better in the long run.  Vitamin D3, K2, Vitamin C, 1,3 beta glucan, elderberry extract, and XPC is part of my daily diet.  Unless I do something stupid (no more winter time blood donations for me!), I’ll take my chances.

 

Note from Dr. David Williams:  Diamond V Mills’ XPC, also known as the “poor man’s EpiCor.” The product is a cultured yeast product for animals, but now comes in supplement form for humans (EpiCor).  Workers in the yeast factory where XPC is made were noticeably healthier and took fewer sick days. The only difference between the EpiCor and XPC is that EpiCor is made in a food-grade facility, while the Diamond V products are made in a feed-grade plant. I’m sure that matters to the FDA, but it doesn’t matter to me. Nevertheless, both products are safe, non-toxic, pesticide-free, and non-mutagenic. The biggest difference I see between the two products, however, is the price. A 30-day supply of EpiCor (consisting of thirty 500 mg capsules) sells for anywhere from about $20 to $50. A 50-pound bag of Diamond V XPC sells at feed stores for anywhere from $1.50 to $1.75 a pound. Take 2 to 3 grams (equivalent to about ¾ tsp.) of XPC a day to help keep your immune system in tip-top shape.