Here they are – my (almost) last cup of coffee, my bubbling, rumbling and bursting out thoughts, and this last blog post. The last one for 2015. How was 2015? It was BIG! It was big for me, for my blog, for my family and for my business. It was big on tough work, on...
The post The Last Blog Post. In 2015 appeared first on TLV Birdie.
By Dr. Mercola
Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed class of medication other than antibiotics, taken by more than 1 in 10 Americans (and 1 in 4 among women aged 50 to 64).1
Many assume that such pills are the best available treatment for symptoms of depression, but in fact the difference between antidepressants and placebo pills is very small — and both are ineffective for most depressed patients.2
In a meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine, only the most severely depressed showed any response to antidepressants at all and that response was quite minimal.3 This lack of effectiveness must be taken into consideration along with the drugs' side effects — of which there are many.
If you're considering the use of antidepressants, it's probably because you want to feel better. However, antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may leave you with a new set of mental challenges, specifically symptoms of mania or bipolar disorder.
SSRIs include drugs such as Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro. Researchers from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience reviewed more than 21,000 medical records for the recently published study.4
Those prescribed antidepressants had a slightly increased risk of developing mania and bipolar disorder. The risk increased by more than 30 percent for those prescribed SSRIs or another antidepressant called Effexor.
The study was observational, which means it can’t prove that antidepressants caused the increased risk; however, the results suggest risk factors for mania should be considered when treating people with depression.
It's estimated that 14 percent of U.S. pregnant women use antidepressants,5 often after being assured they are safe. But a growing collection of research suggests serious caution is warranted.
Most recently, a JAMA Pediatrics study concluded that use of antidepressants, specifically SSRIs, during the second and/or third trimester increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, even after considering maternal depression.6
After reviewing data from pregnancies in Quebec from 1998 through 2009, antidepressant use during the second or third trimester was associated with an 87 percent increased risk of autism.
The use of SSRIs was associated with double the risk of autism in the child, while the use of two or more antidepressants increased the risk more than four-fold.
SSRIs work by preventing the reuptake (movement back into the nerve endings) of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This makes more serotonin available for use in your brain, which is thought to improve your mood.
However, serotonin is involved in fetal brain development, particularly during the second and third trimesters, so manipulating it with SSRIs could be posing a problem. The drugs are also known to cross the placental barrier and reach the fetus.
The use of antidepressants among pregnant women more than doubled between 1999 and 2003, while the prevalence of autism also increased, from 0.04 percent in 1966 to about 1 percent in 2015.7
Susan Hyman, a former chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on autism, told the NZ Herald:8
"We need to think even more carefully about the prenatal environment. And not just about birth defects you can see at the time of delivery but about longer-term consequences."
The JAMA Pediatrics study found no association between antidepressant use in the first trimester and autism. However, past studies have.
One study found boys with autism are three times more likely to have been exposed to SSRI antidepressants in utero than non-autistic boys, and those whose mothers used SSRIs during the first trimester were found to be at greatest risk.9
The autism/antidepressant link may have to do with serotonin metabolism, which is also impacted by vitamin D. The link between vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism has been highlighted by Vitamin D Council founder Dr. John Cannell and others.
Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain.
In addition, according to a study by the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, vitamin D may affect autistic behavior by activating a gene responsible for the production of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), an enzyme that converts tryptophan to serotonin in your brain.10
The research also shows that two other brain hormones associated with social behavior, oxytocin and vasopressin, are activated by vitamin D. As reported by Newswise:11
"This suggests that adequate levels of vitamin D may be required to produce serotonin in the brain where it shapes the structure and wiring of the brain, acts as a neurotransmitter, and affects social behavior.
They also found evidence that the gene that makes the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) is inhibited by vitamin D hormone, which subsequently halts the production of serotonin in the gut and other tissues, where when found in excess it promotes inflammation.
This mechanism explains many of the known, but previously not understood, facts about autism including:
1) The 'serotonin anomaly' low levels of serotonin in the brain and high levels in the blood of autistic children
2) The preponderance of male over female autistic children: estrogen, a similar steroid hormone, can also boost the brain levels of serotonin in girls
3) The presence of autoimmune antibodies to the fetal brain in the mothers of autistic children: vitamin D regulates the production of regulatory T-cells via repression of TPH1."
The researchers propose treating ASD with a combination of vitamin D, tryptophan and omega-3 fats in order to naturally elevate the concentration of brain serotonin without side effects. This isn't the first time vitamin D has been implicated as a contributing factor to rising autism rates.
According to previous research, there is indeed a link between rampant vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism.12
It is my personal belief that this may be one of the largest contributing factors to autism and that it is a deficiency of sun exposure to the pregnant mom, and subsequently to the fetus, that puts the child at a massively increased risk for abnormal brain development.
I believe one of the most important changes that could radically reduce autism is to make sure ALL pregnant women have their vitamin D levels normalized to 50 to 70 ng/ml.
It's not only a potentially increased risk of autism that should prompt women who may become pregnant, and those who already are, to carefully consider the use of antidepressants.
Research shows taking SSRIs when you're pregnant may increase the risks of low birth weight, preterm birth, fetal death, infant death, neonatal seizures, and the need for mechanical ventilation.13
It was also found that children born to women who took antidepressants during pregnancy were more likely to develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).14 That study also found a link between taking antidepressants during pregnancy and the risk of autism in the offspring, although it became less significant when material history of severe depression was taken into account.15
Another study, published in BMJ, specifically looked at the effects of SSRIs used during the first trimester of pregnancy and in the month before.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 30,000 women and revealed the use of the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) was associated with an increased risk of five birth defects, including heart defects and anencephaly, which is abnormal brain and skull formation.16
The use of Prozac (fluoxetine) was associated with two birth defects, including heart wall defects and abnormal skull shape (craniosynostosis). The increase in absolute risk was low; for instance, 10 out of 10,000 women may give birth to a baby with a heart defect but this increased to 24 out of 10,000 among those using Paxil.17
Still, some birth defects occurred two to three times more often in babies born from women taking the drugs, and when the increased risk is combined with the many other studies showing harm, and few showing benefit, it poses a serious concern. In addition:
- Prolonged use of SSRIs during pregnancy was associated with lower language competence at the age of 318
- Women using antidepressants during the second and third trimesters are more likely to give birth prematurely19
- Babies exposed to SSRIs in utero have an increased risk of clubfoot, low birth weight, and persistent pulmonary hypertension20
- Babies exposed prenatally to SSRIs had lower Apgar scores at birth, which is a measure of newborn well-being21
- SSRIs may disrupt fetal deep sleep, which is crucial for normal growth and development; they've also been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage,22 and many babies exposed in utero even display withdrawal symptoms to SSRIs at birth
The potential side effects of antidepressants stretch far and wide. For instance, research suggests taking an SSRI may double your risk of bone fractures.23 This is because serotonin is also involved in the physiology of bone.
If you alter serotonin levels with a drug, it can result in low bone density, boosting fracture risk. A large study of post-menopausal women also found that those taking tricyclic antidepressants or SSRIs were 45 percent more likely to suffer a fatal stroke.24
The research also found that overall death rates were 32 percent higher in women on the drugs, while other research linked antidepressant use to thicker arteries, which could contribute to the risk of heart disease and stroke.25 Among the most concerning side effects, however, especially to society as a whole, are suicidal thoughts and violent behavior.
At SSRIStories.org, you can browse through a collection of more than 6,000 stories in which prescription drugs, primarily SSRIs, were potentially linked to serious side effects, including violent behavior. Categories include murder-suicide, postpartum reactions, road rage, school and other mass shootings, workplace violence, and more. According to the site:26
"The stories on this site include many where young people have been casually given prescriptions for antidepressants, for situational conditions such as loss of a loved one, bullying by classmates, or anxiety about school or relationships. Too often, the treatment intended to cushion the impact of unhappy life experiences results in suicide, homicide, alcoholism, or drug addiction.
It is axiomatic that had the families known of the risks, they would [have] tried to have prevented their loved one from taking the drug. But families do not know, because they are not told. If they ever realize that the antidepressant was the problem, it happens only after serious damage has been done, which in too many cases is death."
If you're diagnosed with depression, be aware that there are many treatment options available, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In a systematic review of 11 studies, no statistically significant difference in effectiveness was found between second-generation antidepressants and CBT.27
Lead author Halle Amick, a research associate with the Research Triangle Institute-University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, told Medicine Net:
" … [There was] 'no statistical or clinical difference between the two treatments … We're not saying that one treatment is better than the other. All we can say is that both seem to be equally effective … On the other hand, medications might have a higher risk for adverse side effects. Our data didn't explore these issues, though they need to be considered when choosing between the two.'"
That being said, whichever form of treatment you're leaning toward, if you are experiencing severe depression please seek help from a professional. For milder depression, and in addition to professional treatment for severe depression, the place to start is to return balance — to your body and your life.
If you're currently taking antidepressants and wish to stop, be aware that you should wean off them gradually and under the care of a knowledgeable health care provider. As reported by SSRI Stories:28
"Withdrawal, especially abrupt withdrawal, from any antidepressant medications can cause severe psychiatric and/or physical problems. Every individual is slightly different, but it is important to withdraw slowly from these drugs, sometimes over a period of a year or more, and ideally under the supervision of a qualified and experienced specialist.
In many jurisdictions, doctors who have the knowledge and the will to assist their patients to withdraw are hard to find. Withdrawal is often more severe than the original symptoms or problems for which the antidepressant prescription was given. Withdrawal can cause a wide range of symptoms, from headaches, brain 'zaps,' insomnia, lethargy, or fatigue, to feeling anger, irritation, or even extreme, uncontrollable rage, and countless others."
Research confirms that there are safe and effective ways to address depression that do not involve unsafe drugs. This includes addressing your gut health, as mentioned above, and more:
- Dramatically decrease your consumption of sugar (particularly fructose), grains, and processed foods. (In addition to being high in sugar and grains, processed foods also contain a variety of additives that can affect your brain function and mental state, especially MSG and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.)
There's a great book on this subject, “The Sugar Blues,” written by American writer and news desk assistant editor William Dufty more than 30 years ago, that delves into the topic of sugar and mental health in great detail.
- Increase consumption of probiotic foods, such as fermented vegetables and kefir, to promote healthy gut flora. Mounting evidence tells us that having a healthy gut is profoundly important for both physical and mental health, and the latter can be severely impacted by an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. Avoiding sugar will also help toward this end.
This is especially important during pregnancy, because if mother's flora is abnormal, her baby's flora will also be abnormal. Whatever organisms live in her vagina end up coating her baby's body and lining his or her intestinal tract.
- Get adequate vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency can contribute to depression and affects one in four people.
- Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through regular sun exposure. Vitamin D is very important for your mood. In one study, people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were found to be 11 times more prone to depression than those who had normal levels.29
The best way to get vitamin D is through sun exposure or use of a high-quality tanning bed. A vitamin D3 supplement can be used if these aren't possible, but you'll need to monitor your levels regularly.
- Get plenty of animal-based omega-3 fats. Many people don't realize that their brain is 60 percent fat, but not just any fat. It is DHA, an animal-based omega-3 fat, which, along with EPA, is crucial for good brain function and mental health.30
Unfortunately, most people don't get enough from diet alone. Make sure you take a high-quality animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil, or consume sardines or anchovies regularly.
Dr. Stoll, a Harvard psychiatrist, was one of the early leaders in compiling the evidence supporting the use of animal based omega-3 fats for the treatment of depression. He wrote an excellent book that details his experience in this area called "The Omega-3 Connection."
- Evaluate your salt intake. Sodium deficiency actually creates symptoms that are very much like those of depression. Make sure you do not use processed salt (regular table salt), however. You'll want to use an all-natural, unprocessed salt like Himalayan salt, which contains more than 80 different micronutrients.
- Get adequate daily exercise, including high-intensity exercise, which is one of the most effective strategies for preventing and overcoming depression. Studies on exercise as a treatment for depression have shown there is a strong correlation between improved mood and aerobic capacity.
So there's a growing acceptance that the mind-body connection is very real, and that maintaining good physical health can significantly lower your risk of developing depression in the first place.
- Get adequate amounts of sleep. You can have the best diet and exercise program possible, but if you aren't sleeping well you can easily become depressed. Sleep and depression are so intimately linked that a sleep disorder is actually part of the definition of the symptom complex that gives the label depression.
By Dr. Mercola
Heroin addiction is becoming a serious problem in the U.S., and far from being an inner-city problem, heroin addicts abound in the suburbs of America.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),1 lethal heroin overdoses nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2013 in the U.S., escalating from 0.7 to 2.7 deaths per 100,000 during this timeframe.
In 2013, more than 46,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, with prescription drugs and heroin topping the list.2 Half, or about 23,000, of these lethal overdoses were due to prescription drugs, with painkillers accounting for about 16,000 deaths.3 About 8,000 deaths were due to heroin.
As discussed in the featured 60 Minutes segment, "Heroin in the Heartland,"4,5 heroin addiction is fueled by legal drug addiction to opioid painkillers which, from a chemical standpoint, are nearly identical to heroin.
Between 2013 and 2014, heroin use in the U.S. rose by 51 percent,6 and the reason for this resurgence is in large part due to it being less expensive than its prescription counterparts.7
Many painkiller addicts also end up using heroin when their tolerance level surpasses their allotted prescription dosage, or when they are no longer allowed to refill their prescription.
According to a report8 issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in April 2015:
"Controlled prescription drug abusers who begin using heroin do so chiefly because of price differences, but also because of availability and the reformulation of OxyContin."
As noted by Forbes,9 the drug industry has a lot to answer for, as drug makers have repeatedly downplayed the addictive nature of their wares while aggressively promoting their use.
Purdue Pharma is just one example. In 2007, the company pled guilty to charges of misbranding, and was fined $600 million for misleading the public about Oxycontin's addictive qualities.
There's also the issue of increased supply.
Dr. Meryl Nass,10 has pointed out that opium production in Afghanistan has doubled since the U.S. military entered the region in 2001, and heroin-related deaths started to climb in 2002. She believes this is the real story behind the rise in heroin availability across the U.S..
Wherever it's coming from, one thing is sure — heroin has become readily available even in rural and suburban areas. As noted by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine,11 whom 60 Minutes interviewed for this segment:
"Heroin has lost its stigma as a poisonous, back-alley drug. There's no psychological barrier anymore that stops a young person or an older person from taking heroin. There's no typical [heroin user]. It has permeated every segment of society in Ohio."
60 Minutes interviews a number of people about how and why they, or their loved one, started using heroin and painkillers — either stolen from a family member or prescribed for things like sports injuries and dental procedures — and how that typically served as the launching pad into illicit heroin addiction.
Heroin addiction has become such a widespread problem that families and friends of addicts are now routinely taught how to administer Narcan (naloxone hydrochloride), a medication that reverses the effects of opiates in the brain and helps restart normal breathing following an overdose.
While originally administered primarily by emergency care personnel, Narcan is now available over the counter, without a prescription. Some schools are also starting to stock Narcan.12
As reported by Epoch Times:13
"A 2010 survey of naloxone programs operating in the United States since 1996 found that 53,000 kits containing naloxone were distributed through 188 programs across 16 U.S. states. This distribution was reported to have resulted in over 10,000 successful overdose reversals."
New Hampshire is another state struggling with a severe heroin problem.14 Its medical board recently adopted a new rule requiring evidence-based screening to determine which patients might be at risk of addiction.
The state is also strengthening its prescription drug monitoring program, and medical boards are tightening their rules for prescribing opioids.
A part of this problem is the nonsensical actions of our federal leadership, which supports the use of exceptionally dangerous painkillers while preventing the use of medical marijuana, which can offer non-toxic pain relief.
At the federal level, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 115 controlled substance — a category reserved for the most dangerous of drugs, including heroin, LSD and Ecstasy.
According to the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, Schedule 1 drugs are defined as those having a "high potential for abuse" and "no accepted medical use." Research to date shows that marijuana meets neither if these criteria.
Meanwhile, oxycodone, fentanyl, and meperidine (Demerol), which are among the most commonly abused opioids and leading causes of overdose deaths, are Schedule 2 drugs, meaning they should technically be less dangerous than marijuana which, clearly, they are not.
This is a double-standard that destroys lives, and makes absolutely no sense from a legal or scientific standpoint. As noted by Forbes:16
"Forty-six Americans die each day from prescription opioid overdoses and none from marijuana. So, it makes sense that the U.S. attorney general has told the DEA to focus on the serious problems and let go of marijuana enforcement.
That change in tactic seems to be paying off. The New York Division of the DEA just unsealed a case that involved an oxycodone distribution ring that had distributed over 500,000 pills in a five-year period with a street value of $10 to $15 million...
The idea is to stop the gateway drug so that these abusers won't then turn to heroin which is cheaper." [Emphasis mine]
Still, simply refocusing arrest efforts on those dealing in pain pills rather than chasing after pot dealers does not correct the problem. To really make a dent in the use of addictive painkillers, marijuana should be completely decriminalized and embraced for its non-toxic pain relief potential. Forbes even notes that there are studies showing medicinal cannabis may be helpful in the treatment of heroin addiction.
Physical pain and financial strain appear to be two of the primary forces driving suicide and addiction rates in the U.S. And, according to a report17 by The Atlantic, undereducated middle-aged white Americans are "dying from despair" in increasing numbers. When you consider the interconnectedness between pain, depression and subsequent addiction, it's easy to see how the end result can be lethal, which is why we really need to reevaluate how we treat pain in the first place.
I believe medical marijuana could play an important role in making the treatment of pain much safer. The Journal of Pain,18 a publication by the American Pain Society, has a long list of studies demonstrating the pain-relieving effects of cannabis.
Research published in 2014 also suggests medical cannabis may be a far safer alternative for people with chronic pain, with use of marijuana resulting in a 25 percent drop in deaths from painkiller overdoses — a fairly significant reduction. Neurosurgeon and media reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta discusses these findings in the video above.
In light of the evidence, it's hard to understand DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg's open dismissal of cannabis. Time magazine recently quoted him as saying: "We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don't call it medicine — that is a joke," further adding that "it has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine."
I believe the scientific evidence proves Rosenberg wrong on both accounts. It has been shown to be effective for certain ailments — including pain — and is has a FAR better track record in terms of safety compared to conventional painkillers.
I'm not alone in this view. In fact, as of this writing nearly 80,000 people have signed a petition19 asking the White House to fire DEA chief Rosenberg for calling medical marijuana a 'joke.'20 An earlier petition21 to fire anti-marijuana DEA administrator Michele Leonhart garnered 46,000 signatures. Leonhart, following accusations of mismanagement, stepped down in May. At the time, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) said:22
"I encourage the president to use this as an opportunity to fill this important role with someone who understands the outdated federal approach to marijuana isn't working. The American public has moved on. Most now feel marijuana should be legalized."
On Veteran's Day, dozens of military service members dumped a big pile of empty pill containers outside the White House, calling for the federal government to make medical marijuana available to veterans of war. As reported by The Washington Post:23
"Here's what the over-medication of our veterans looks like," they said as they spilled the canisters onto the floor. "We don't want it." The veterans and protesters...argued that Veterans Affairs hospitals are over-medicating veterans, prescribing them a large number of psychoactive medications to treat PTSD... VA health-care providers can't talk to their patients about medical marijuana options, even in states where there are legal medical marijuana programs.
A bill in Congress, the Veterans Equal Access Amendment, would allow doctors to provide recommendations about participating in such state programs.
"There's something seriously wrong going on. It's disgusting," said Jose Martinez, 27, a triple amputee who stepped on a bomb while serving in Afghanistan in 2012. Martinez, who lives in California and works with the Weed for Warriors Project, said he was prescribed a cocktail of pills and had a debilitating pain pill addiction. He now uses marijuana and says he no longer takes those prescribed pills..."
Another factor worthy of consideration is the importance of strengthening human bonds and forming social networks. The video above is a short animated summary of Johann Hari's book, "Chasing the Scream." In it, Hari argues that everything we think we know about addiction may be wrong.24 It's possible that the chemical itself is not to blame for addiction; rather, addiction may be a sign of a much larger societal problem — a lack of heartfelt connection with others.
Drug addiction is just one type of unhealthy bonding that can take place in lieu of bonding with friends and family. To break addiction — an unhealthy bond — you must replace it with healthier bonds. In this view, drug addiction is a symptom of disconnection; not the inevitable result of being exposed to a drug.
Factors like loneliness and grief are also known to worsen pain, so taking steps to build and nurture a stronger social network may indeed be an important part of your recovery — both from pain and from addiction.
I recently received an interesting case study from Mark Newman, President of Precision Analytical, Inc. (my favorite hormone testing service, and the one I use personally). A 23-year-old woman was given hydrocodone after getting her wisdom teeth extracted. Her sex hormones and adrenal hormones were tested before taking the drug, and again after taking hydrocodone every four to six hours for two days.
At that point, after just two days on the painkiller, her cortisol production was completely demolished, while her sex hormone levels remained stable — the outcome of which is adrenal fatigue, which in turn can set a cascade of disease processes into motion.
With all the health risks associated with opioid painkillers, I strongly urge you to exhaust other options before resorting to these drugs. Below I list some of the most effective non-drug alternatives for the treatment of pain that I know of. If you're in pain, I recommend trying these first, before even thinking about prescription painkillers of any kind.
There is another option that involves reeducating pain pathways through neuroplasticity that Norman Doidge discusses in his new book, "Healing the Brain." I will be interviewing him shortly about this exciting possibility.
Medical cannabis Medical cannabis has a long history as a natural analgesic.25 At present, 23 U.S. states have legalized cannabis for medical purposes.
Its medicinal qualities are due to high amounts (about 10 to 20 percent) of cannabidiol (CBD), medicinal terpenes, and flavonoids.
As discussed in this previous article, varieties of cannabis exist that are very low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes you feel "stoned" — and high in medicinal CBD.
Just be sure to seek out a knowledgeable cannabis physician, as many have no idea of the proper dosing.
If you are seriously considering medical cannabis for pain, it is imperative that you view my interview with Dr. Allan Frankel in this previous article, who is one of the leading medical cannabis physicians in the U.S.
He can do consultations on the phone if one needs specific questions answered.Eliminate or radically reduce processed foods Avoiding processed grains and refined sugars (particularly fructose) will lower your insulin and leptin levels and decrease insulin and leptin resistance, which is one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced.
That is why stopping sugar and sweets is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.Take a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat My personal favorite is krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work, they manipulate prostaglandins.) Optimize your vitamin D level Optimizing your vitamin D level by getting regular, appropriate sun exposure and taking a vitamin D3 supplement can help reduce pain via a variety of different mechanisms. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) EFT is a drug-free approach for pain management of all kinds. It borrows from the principles of acupuncture, in that it helps you balance out your subtle energy system.
It helps resolve underlying, often subconscious, negative emotions that may be exacerbating your physical pain.
By stimulating (tapping) well-established acupuncture points with your fingertips, you rebalance your energy system, which tends to dissipate pain.K-Laser Class 4 Laser Therapy K-Laser therapy can be an excellent choice for many painful conditions, including acute injuries. By addressing the underlying cause of the pain, you will no longer need to rely on painkillers.
K-Laser is a class 4 infrared laser therapy treatment that helps reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance tissue healing — both in hard and soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, or even bones.
The infrared wavelengths used in the K-Laser allow for targeting specific areas of your body, and can penetrate deeply into the body to reach areas such as your spine and hip.
For more information about this groundbreaking technology and how it can help heal chronic pain, please listen to my previous interview with Phil Harrington, DC.Avoid sitting down One of the most common causes of pain is low back pain. Even I struggled with it for many years.
The only thing that eliminated it — yes entirely 100 percent gone — was radically reducing the number of hours of sitting from 15 hours a day to less than one.Chiropractic Many studies have confirmed that chiropractic management is much safer and less expensive than allopathic medical treatments, especially when used for back pain.
Qualified chiropractic, osteopathic, and naturopathic physicians are reliable, as they have received extensive training in the management of musculoskeletal disorders during their course of graduate healthcare training, which lasts between four to six years.
These health experts have comprehensive training in musculoskeletal management.Acupuncture Research has discovered a "clear and robust" effect of acupuncture in the treatment of: back, neck, and shoulder pain, osteoarthritis, and headaches. Physical therapy and massage therapy Both have been shown to be effective for painful conditions such as torn cartilage and arthritis. Astaxanthin Astaxanthin is one of the most effective fat-soluble antioxidants known. It has very potent anti-inflammatory properties and in many cases works far more effectively than anti-inflammatory drugs.
Higher doses are typically required and you may need eight mg or more per day to achieve this benefit.Ginger This herb has potent anti-inflammatory activity and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice. Curcumin In a study of osteoarthritis patients, those who added 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan had reduced pain and increased mobility.
A past study also found that a turmeric extract composed of curcuminoids blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively preventing the overproduction of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.26Boswellia Also known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb contains specific active anti-inflammatory ingredients. This is one of my personal favorites as I have seen it work well with many rheumatoid arthritis patients. Bromelain This enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form but eating fresh pineapple, including some of the bromelain-rich stem, may also be helpful. Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO) This oil, found in fish and dairy butter, acts as a "joint lubricant" and an anti-inflammatory.
I have used this for myself to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that pops up when I type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards.
I used a topical preparation for this.Evening Primrose, Black Currant, and Borage Oils These contain the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is useful for treating arthritic pain. Cayenne Cream Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain. Mind-body techniques Methods such as yoga, Foundation Training, massage, meditation, hot and cold packs, and other mind-body techniques can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs. Grounding Grounding, or walking barefoot on the earth, may also provide a certain measure of pain relief by combating inflammation
By Dr. Mercola
It's becoming relatively common knowledge that your health is not just about your body, but rather is the result of its symbiotic relationship with 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms.
Your microbiome is unique to you, like a fingerprint, and represents a combination of lifestyle factors, genetics, environment, and more.
Your gut microbiome influences your immune responses and nervous system functioning, and plays a role in the development of a number of diseases, including obesity, cancer and heart disease.
In the latter case, research has emerged that bacteria in your gut may play an integral role in the formation of fatty deposits on your arteries, leading to atherosclerosis (hardening of your arteries).
Perhaps even more remarkable, now researchers have also figured out a way to stop the process.
Research by physician Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic and colleagues has shown that certain bacteria in your gut can transform choline (found in meat and eggs) and other dietary nutrients into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which slows the breakdown of cholesterol.
The higher your TMAO levels become, the more fatty plaques may collect in your arteries, which may promote atherosclerosis and other heart problems.
As The Atlantic recently reported, Dr. Hazen's colleague Zeneng Wang discovered that the chemical 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol (DMB) prevents gut microbes from turning choline into trimethylamine (TMA), thereby lowering the risk of heart problems.1,2
DMB is a choline-like compound that works by “gumming up” the enzymes required by the bacteria to digest choline, which stops TMA production. According to The Atlantic:3
"It takes two to TMAO: Bacteria first transform choline into TMA, before an enzyme from the host animal changes TMA into TMAO. At first, Hazen's team tried to prevent the second part of this chain by blocking the animal enzyme.
They succeeded, lowering TMAO levels in mice and making them resistant to atherosclerosis. But there was just one problem: disabling the enzyme leads to a build-up of TMA, which doesn't harm the heart but does smell of rotting fish."
By targeting gut microbes with DMB, the mice, which were bred to be vulnerable to atherosclerosis, produced less TMAO even when fed a choline-rich diet. They also had fewer signs of the condition. As written in Cell:4
"The present studies suggest that targeting gut microbial production of TMA specifically and non-lethal microbial inhibitors in general may serve as a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases."
Your gut bacteria can also metabolize L-carnitine, a substance found in red meat, eggs, and other foods, and in so doing produce TMAO.
Interestingly, people with diets high in L-carnitine, i.e. meat eaters, had a gut microbe composition that was more prone to forming TMAO, while vegetarians and vegans did not.
Even after consuming large amounts of L-carnitine in a steak or supplement, the vegetarians and vegans in the study did not produce significant amounts of TMAO.
This, Dr. Hazen and colleagues believe, means that eating red meat alters your gut flora in a way that predisposes your body toward TMAO production, and subsequently, heart disease.5
This was confirmed by giving the omnivores a course of antibiotics, after which they did not produce TMAO. Dr. Hazen said in a statement:6
"The bacteria living in our digestive tracts are dictated by our long-term dietary patterns … A diet high in carnitine actually shifts our gut microbe composition to those that like carnitine, making meat eaters even more susceptible to forming TMAO and its artery-clogging effects."
Separate research suggests people with the highest TMAO levels may have twice the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or premature death compared to those with the lowest levels.
The researchers therefore suggested that altering the bacterial population in your gut could have tremendous implications for heart health:
"Perhaps a probiotic approach that would involve the intentional ingestion of certain types of bacteria that might alter the population of bacteria in the gut to one that is beneficial."
Rice University synthetic biologist Jeff Tabor received a three-year grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) to research how gut microbes may be used to support health on the battlefront.
Synthetic biology involves genetically engineering microorganisms, making it highly controversial. Tabor's work involves a genetically engineered E. coli cell that is capable of sensing certain chemical disturbances.
The ultimate goal is that the cells would then "fire off a battery of molecules to neutralize [the disturbances]."9 The cells would be designed to only survive a matter of hours in your gut, carrying out their intended purpose and then dying off naturally.
To date, his research in mice has been related to obesity and other metabolic issues. When mice were fed the modified E. coli cells, the "sensors" were activated, which means the targeted chemicals were successfully located.
The research is only in the beginning stages, but plans are underway to produce GE cells that would carry up to a dozen sensors and be capable of producing targeted drugs on the spot, including highly-targeted antibiotics that target bacterial chemicals linked to obesity, inflammation, and more.10
Manipulating gut bacteria with "synthetic probiotics" might one day be used to treat diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cancer, neurological disorders, obesity, and more.
The U.S. military is hoping that tweaking the microbiome might also help the armed forces stay healthy in the face of extreme conditions, stress, disruptions to circadian rhythm (like living on a submarine), and sleep loss. Scientific American reported:11
" … [T]he Navy may find creative ways to deploy these synthetic probiotics not just to avoid obesity and its attendant problems but to quickly shift body weight and metabolism as necessary, Tabor suggests.
'Imagine you have a team of marines going from a temperate environment, say, at sea level, to a really cold environment, like up on top of a mountain, in a short period of time. You want them to be able to put on some fat quickly to be more robust in the cold environment.'
The solution? A dose of yogurt laced with synthetic probiotics that change warfighters' metabolism to increase fat for a couple of weeks — and after that another dose to take it off when they return to sea level."
Your microbiome affects your heart, your weight, and, yes, also your brain and behavior. So-called germ-free mice, which have no microbiome to speak of, have altered behavior and brain function.
In a study by Dr. John Cryan, a neuropharmacologist from the University College Cork in Ireland, mice without microbes in their intestines are unable to recognize other mice around them. Dr. Cryan believes microbes may communicate with the brain and help us be social, which in turn allows the microbes to spread to others.12
In addition, mice lacking gut bacteria have been found to engage in "high-risk behavior," and this altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain.13 Dr. Cryan believes beneficial microbes could one day be used to treat mental health problems in humans.
He dubbed the compounds "psychobiotics." He told Scientific American, "That dietary treatments could be used as either adjunct or sole therapy for mood disorders is not beyond the realm of possibility."14
In one notable study by Dr. Cryan and colleagues, the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus had a marked effect on GABA levels — an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is significantly involved in regulating many physiological and psychological processes — in certain brain regions and lowered the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior.15
Further, researchers have discovered that the absence or presence of gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression. Through gene profiling, they were able to discern that absence of gut bacteria altered genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control.
This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. These behavioral changes could be reversed as long as the mice were exposed to normal microorganisms early in life. But, once the germ-free mice had reached adulthood, colonizing them with bacteria did not influence their behavior.16 As reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Record:17
"Cryan has identified several 'critical windows' for gut microbiota development and in which it might be most possible to transform them: early life, adolescence and old age. But, 'on the whole, it's the early-life period that's instrumental for informing the microbiome composition, which informs our immune system and may shape aspects of brain development as well,' he said."
This is one strong argument for having a vaginal birth as opposed to a C-section (if you have the option), as your baby is "seeded" with microbes as it goes through the birth canal. Breastfeeding further encourages a healthy microbiome in early life, and once your baby is ready for soft foods, you can easily provide abundant probiotics in the form of fermented foods.
However, even though early life is a crucial time for developing a healthy microbiome, you can make favorable changes all throughout your life.
Your microbiome is vulnerable to your diet and lifestyle and can be harmed by:
Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary (and when you do take them, make sure to reseed your gut with fermented foods and/or a probiotic supplement) Conventionally raised meats and other animal products, as CAFO animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plus genetically engineered grains, which have also been implicated in the destruction of gut flora Processed foods (as the excessive sugars, along with otherwise "dead" nutrients, feed pathogenic bacteria) Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water Antibacterial soap Agricultural chemicals In addition to avoiding the harmful aspects above, reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria is essential for maintaining proper balance and achieving optimal physical and mental health. In light of this, here are my recommendations for optimizing your gut bacteria.
- Fermented foods are the best route to optimal gut health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions.
Healthy choices include lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner), fermented grass-fed organic milk such as kefir, various pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots, and natto (fermented soy).
Fermented vegetables, in particular, are an excellent way to supply beneficial bacteria back into your gut. As an added bonus, they can also a great source of vitamin K2 if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture.
We had samples of high-quality, fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture tested, and a typical serving (about two to three ounces) contained not only 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, but it also had 500 mcg of vitamin K2, which we now know is a vital co-nutrient to both vitamin D and calcium.
Most high-quality probiotics supplements will only supply you with a fraction of the beneficial bacteria found in such homemade fermented veggies, so it's your most economical route to optimal gut health as well.
- Probiotic supplement. Although I'm not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics is an exception if you don't eat fermented foods on a regular basis.
By Dr. Mercola
You spend about one-third of your life sleeping; that's a lot of time spent with your body snuggled up against your mattress. This sanctuary should not only allow you to get proper rest, but should do so in a pure fashion without exposing you to unnecessary risk.
Unfortunately, most mattresses are anything but pure. As of July 1, 2007, all U.S. mattresses are required to be highly flame retardant to the extent that they won't catch on fire if exposed to a blowtorch. This means they may contain flame-retardant chemicals.
One type of flame-retardant chemical, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), has been banned in the U.S. since 2004 due to health concerns. But if your mattress contains polyurethane foam and was manufactured before this date, it might still contain them.
Boric acid, a toxic respiratory irritant used to kill roaches; antimony, a metal that may be more toxic than mercury and formaldehyde, which causes cancer, are some of the other chemicals that lurk in many mattresses — even those from "high-end" brands.
In most cases it's virtually impossible to find out what's really in your mattress. Mattress manufacturers are not required to label or disclose which chemicals their mattresses contain. They may even claim that their mattresses are safe, when in reality they are not. As reported by Mother Jones:1
"Major manufacturers such as Simmons, Sealy, and Tempur-Pedic won't divulge their flame-retardant formulas, which are considered trade secrets …
A best guess at what's in today's mattresses comes from Ryan Trainer, … [president] of the International Sleep Products Association, an industry group.
He says most companies use 'various types of barrier fabrics' such as cotton treated with boric acid or rayon treated with silica — both relatively benign chemicals — as well as fire-resistant materials such as modacrylic fiber (which contains antimony oxide, a carcinogen) and melamine resin (which contains formaldehyde)."
Mattresses may off-gas such chemicals, which means they slowly "leak" out over time. Studies looking into the health risks of sleeping on a chemical-laden mattress are hard to come by, but we do know that such chemicals themselves pose hazards.
PBDEs, for instance, disrupt mechanisms that are responsible for releasing hormones in your body, as well as alter calcium signaling in your brain, which is a critical mechanism for learning and memory.
These chemicals actually resemble the molecular structure of PCBs, which have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and impaired fetal brain development.
Like PCBs, even though certain PBDEs have been banned in some U.S. states and the European Union, they persist in the environment and accumulate in your body.
Higher exposures to PBDEs have been linked to decreased fertility, which could be in part because the chemicals may mimic your thyroid hormones.2 Previous research has suggested PBDEs can lead to decreases in TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone).3
Although newer mattresses will no longer contain PBDEs, the chemicals used to replace them may be just as bad. For instance, organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are frequently found in conventional mattresses.
Some OPFRs have been identified as known or suspected carcinogens or neurotoxic substances.
The primary filling material used in most conventional mattresses is polyurethane foam — a highly flammable petroleum-based material. Because of its high flammability, polyurethane foam must be treated or wrapped with fire retardant chemicals.
Flame-retardant chemicals have been linked to serious health risks, including infertility, birth defects, neurodevelopmental delays, reduced IQ scores and behavioral problems in children, hormone disruptions, and various forms of cancer.
The risks may be especially dangerous to children, as research revealed that children born to women who were exposed to high levels of PBDEs during pregnancy had, on average, a 4.5 point decrease in IQ.4 Such children are also more prone to hyperactivity disorders.
Remember, these chemicals don't "stay put" in the mattress. They migrate out and collect in house dust. As a result, an estimated 90 percent of Americans have some level of flame-retardant chemicals in their bodies.
Long-term residents of California, which was the first state to use flame retardant chemicals, tend to have far higher levels.
This is no small concern. Flame retardant chemicals have even been identified as one of 17 "high priority" chemical groups that should be avoided to reduce your risk of breast cancer.5
Adding to the conundrum of using flame retardant chemicals, when on fire, objects doused in flame retardants (yes, they can still catch fire) give off higher levels of carbon monoxide, soot, and smoke than untreated objects.
These three things are more likely to kill a person in a fire than burns, which means flame retardant chemicals may actually make fires more deadly.
If you want to avoid flame retardants and other chemicals in your mattress, you can have a licensed health care provider write you a prescription for a chemical-free mattress, which can then be ordered without flame retardants from certain retailers.
You can also find certain natural mattresses on the market that don't contain them. For instance, most wool mattresses do not have flame-retardant chemicals added because wool is a natural flame retardant.
Given the blatant dangers posed by flame retardants, in late November 2013 California's governor ordered that TB117 (which required all furniture sold in California to withstand a 12-second open flame test) be rewritten to ensure fire safety without the use of these chemicals.
Starting in January 2014, furniture manufacturers began producing furniture that's not required to use flame-retardant chemicals, and full compliance was expected by January 2015. Unfortunately, the updated law only states that the chemicals are no longer required; it doesn't ban them outright.
If you're looking for a safe mattress, you need to know what to look for on labels. Some terms, such as "natural," mean virtually nothing, while other labels, such as "organic," may be misleading (as it could mean only part of the mattress materials are organic).
Consumer Reports recently compiled a guide of what such labels really mean.6 Here are some highlights to consider:
Best Mattress Labels: GOTS and GOLS
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): At least 95 percent of the mattress materials must be certified organic. Certain substances, including flame retardants and polyurethane (common in memory foam products), are prohibited.
- Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS): Applies to latex mattress and ensures only organic latex is used.
Good: Oeko-Tex Standard 100
This label sets limits on the emission of toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Chemical flame retardants, colorants and allergenic dyes are prohibited.
Labels with Some Value
- CertiPUR-US: Applies only to polyurethane foam and prohibits certain substances, such as PBDE. Testing is required for formaldehyde and other toxins.
- Greenguard: The finished mattress must be tested for specific emission limits of formaldehyde and other VOCs.
- Greenguard Gold: The same as Greenguard but with tighter emission limits.
- Organic: A mattress may be labeled organic even if only parts of it are organic (and other parts contain harmful chemicals). For instance, the label may read "made with organic cotton."
- Organic Content Standard 100: This applies to the percentage of certified-organic materials in the mattress. It also ensures proper tracking of organic cotton from its source to the finished product.
Once you purchase a new mattress, there's a simple way to help reduce your exposure to toxic emission — let it air out before you sleep on it. According to Consumer Reports:7
"Prices for mattresses with green claims run from as little as $600 to more than $25,000 for luxury versions. In general, expect to pay around $2,000 for a queen-size mattress — more for one meeting GOTS or GOLS. Whatever mattress you buy, air it out for at least 48 hours before using it to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.
That likely means you'll have to dispose of the old mattress yourself (rather than letting the retailer haul it away when they deliver the new one), but you might thank yourself in the long run."
A mattress needn't have only one of the certifications above. The best and purest mattresses on the market may combine multiple safety standards, giving you the ultimate in safety and comfort.
This is certainly the case with my Healthy Home Certified Organic Mattresses and bedding made by Naturepedic. Naturepedic mattresses not only pass flammability standards without chemical flame retardants, they are also third-party certified with the following certifications:
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)
- GREENGUARD® Gold
- Organic Content Standard (OCS100)
My mattresses provide fire protection with superior product design and better materials. Their unique and innovative approach provides a simple and elegant solution allowing these mattresses and bedding products to meet all federal and state flammability standards — without the use of dangerous chemicals.
Be especially careful when choosing a mattress for your child, as products intended for kids and babies are also those most likely to be doused in flame retardant chemicals. You spend from six to nine hours every night with your face in close proximity to your mattress, breathing in these chemicals.
Your children spend even longer sleeping, with their faces even closer to the mattress surface. And if your children jump on the bed, or you bounce on your mattress, even more of these toxins can be released into the air. For this reason, look for a pure mattress for your child.
You may be wondering when it's time to retire your old mattress and upgrade to a new one. This isn't always an obvious decision the way replacing other household goods can be. As noted by The Better Sleep Council:8
"Similar to your favorite old chair or worn pair of shoes, your mattress can still feel somewhat comfortable long after it has lost its ability to provide your body with the proper support and comfort it needs. Because sleep is so critical to our ability to function and feel our best, it is important to evaluate your sleep set on a regular basis to know when your sleep is compromised and to replace mattress accessories as well."
How long your mattress will last depends on a number of factors, including its original quality and how much use it gets. The following signs may indicate your mattress is no longer providing you with optimal support and it's time for a change:9
- You wake up stiff, numb, or in pain
- Your mattress has visible signs of overuse (stains, holes, sagging, or tears)
- You're tired even after sleeping all night
- You sleep better when you sleep in a different bed (such as at a hotel)
- Your mattress is seven years or older
Once you've upgraded, here's a tip to keep your mattress in good condition. Once every four months (or once a season), use your vacuum to remove crumbs, dead skin, and dust from your mattress. You can also sprinkle it with baking soda, let it sit for an hour, and then vacuum it up for extra deodorizing.
By Dr. Mercola
Recent research reveals American girls are hitting puberty earlier than ever before. The median age for breast development is now around 9, with rare cases of extreme precocious puberty occurring in girls as young as 4.
Precocious puberty is triggered by premature release of hormones, which results in sexual maturation, sometimes years before the natural norm. Research into the phenomenon reveals that environmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals plays a major if not decisive role.
Interestingly, recent research1 also claims that high sugar consumption—specifically soda—can affect young girls' rate of maturation. According to associate professor Karin Michels, who studies links between environmental exposures, genetics and disease:
"Our study adds to increasing concern about the widespread consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks among children and adolescents.
The main concern is about childhood obesity, but our study suggests that age of first menstruation (menarche) occurred earlier, independently of body mass index, among girls with the highest consumption of drinks sweetened with added sugar."
Early onset of puberty has ramifications that go far beyond mere physical changes. Emotions, behavior, mental and physical health can all be detrimentally affected.
While some parents are resorting to drug treatment to keep puberty at bay in their prematurely developing daughters, a more proactive approach would be to limit exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, starting as early before birth as possible, and to address your child's diet—specifically restricting all forms of sugar as much as possible.
Hormones, emotions and behavior tend to go hand in hand, which can lead to distress both in the child and her parents when puberty comes years ahead of schedule. As noted in a recent Newsweek2 article:
"The mother of one 8-year-old wrote that her daughter 'is a very sexual being. Although she does not by definition understand what 'sexiness' means, she exhibits a very particular awareness of her body and wants other people to notice her...'
[N]o matter how physically developed a girl is, her psychosocial maturation remains anchored to her chronological age. 'These young girls get, let's use the term 'hit on,' by older boys and men and how can they be prepared to deal with it?
Obviously, grown women have a hard [enough] time dealing with unwanted sexual attention,' observes [Dr. Marcia] Herman-Giddens [professor of public health at the University of North Carolina].
The brain is highly plastic, and stressful experiences like these take their toll. Early-maturing girls are more likely to smoke cigarettes, they are at high risk for substance use, and they have higher rates of eating disorders."
Precocious puberty is also associated with an increased lifetime risk of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. For example, one 2013 study3 found that early puberty was associated with a 30 percent higher risk for breast cancer compared to entering puberty at a later age.
Also, for each year that onset of menstruation was delayed, the risk for premenopausal breast cancer was reduced by 9 percent. The risk for postmenopausal breast cancer was reduced by 4 percent.
The definition of puberty in girls includes breast development, growth of pubic hair and onset of menstruation. The average age of puberty for girls in the U.S. was 16-17 at the turn of the 20th century. Today the mean age at which girls get their first period is 12.4
According to data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,5 early onset of menstruation appears to be associated with elevated levels of certain chemicals, such as 2, 5-dichlorophenol (2, 5-DCP).
2, 5-DCP is a metabolite of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (paradichlorobenzene), a chemical used in moth balls, room deodorizers, toilet bowl cleaners and other household cleaning products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention6 (CDC):
"Paradichlorobenzene has been detected in ambient air in households, bathrooms and new buildings, and in exhaled breath samples of persons living in households where room deodorizers and moth crystals were used.
2,5-Dichlorophenol can also be formed in waste water treatment, wood pulp processing, and during the incineration of wood, coal and municipal waste.
As explained in an informative pamphlet7 on pesticides and endocrine disruption by Beyond Pesticides, endocrine-disrupting chemicals cause harm by:
- Mimicking the action of a naturally-produced hormone, such as estrogen or testosterone
- Blocking hormone receptors in your cells, thereby preventing the action of normal hormones
- Affecting the synthesis, transport, metabolism and excretion of hormones, thus altering the concentrations of natural hormones in your body
Some of the biggest offenders are plastic compounds like phthalates and bisphenols (BPA and BPS)—if nothing else for the fact that they're so ubiquitous.
Plastics are used in every imaginable household product, so you really have to make some decisive lifestyle changes to limit your exposure to these chemicals.
Even then you're unlikely to avoid them entirely. Plastics continue spreading their chemicals into the environment even after they've been used and thrown away. Microscopic plastic particles now fill the water column in our oceans, where they get re-circulated back into our food supply.8
As noted in the featured article,9 your body cannot metabolize phthalates, and indirectly, these chemicals can have an adverse effect on both weight and timing of puberty. Disturbingly, recent research also suggests that prenatal phthalate exposure may lead to reduced IQ in children.
Bisphenol-A and bisphenol-S mimic the hormone estrogen, and as noted in a 2011 study,10 BPA is similar in potency to estradiol, and may influence a number of different endocrine-related pathways.
Moreover, in animal research, adverse effects of BPA have been noted at levels below current acceptable daily intake (RDI) levels.
Besides phthalates and bisphenols, other potent endocrine disruptors include the following.11 I've written about many of these in prior articles, so for more information about any particular one, please follow the links provided.
Dioxin Atrazine Fire retardants Lead Mercury Perchlorate Arsenic Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) Organophosphate pesticides Glycol ethers
On the flip side of early puberty you have early menopause. Many of the same chemicals that cause precocious puberty are also associated with early menopause, which can have an adverse effect on ovarian function. One recent study12 discovered that women with high levels of 15 different chemicals, including PCBs, pesticides and phthalates, typically entered menopause two to four years earlier than those with lower levels.
A woman's reproductive health can also be affected at any point during her childbearing years, via a number of different mechanisms that can be traced back to chemical overexposures.
For example, the thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system, and is therefore also vulnerable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Interestingly, recent research suggests that hyperthyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid is overactive, may contribute to fertility and pregnancy problems in women. The authors suggest that women struggling with infertility and/or repeated miscarriages should get tested for thyroid disease.
The study,13,14 published in The Obstetrician & Gynecologist, found that 2.3 percent of women with fertility problems had an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), compared to 1.5 percent of those in the general population. According to co-author Amanda Jeffreys:
"Abnormalities in thyroid function can have an adverse effect on reproductive health and result in reduced rates of conception, increased miscarriage risk and adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes."
In terms of treatment, conventional options for hyperthyroidism—such as surgery or the use of radioactive iodine—tend to produce poor results. While I don’t generally advise taking iodine supplements, if testing does confirm that you have hyperthyroidism, a more effective treatment option for you and your doctor is discussed by Dr. Jonathan Wright in the following video.
According to Dr. Wright, normal thyroid levels can often be achieved in less than two weeks with the following protocol:
- Patient starts out on five drops of Lugol's iodine, three times per day
- After four or five days, patient starts receiving 300 mg of lithium carbonate, one to three times per day
If you do decide to follow this protocol, it’s important that your physician know about it, as serious effects can occur if you take too much of either treatment, particularly lithium carbonate.
In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report co-produced with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), titled "State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals."15 The report suggests that outright banning all endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may actually be needed to protect the health of future generations. According to the report:
"The diverse systems affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals likely include all hormonal systems and range from those controlling development and function of reproductive organs to the tissues and organs regulating metabolism and satiety. Effects on these systems can lead to obesity, infertility or reduced fertility, learning and memory difficulties, adult-onset diabetes or cardiovascular disease, as well as a variety of other diseases."
Although it's virtually impossible to steer clear of all endocrine-disrupting chemicals, you can certainly minimize your family's exposure by keeping some key principles in mind.
- Eat mostly fresh, raw whole foods. Processed and packaged foods are a common source of BPA and phthalates—particularly cans, but also foods packaged in plastic wrap.
- Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic or cans.
- Store your food and beverages in glass, rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap. Use glass containers if heating food in your microwave, as heat tends to increase the release of chemicals from plastic. Be aware that even "BPA-free" plastics typically leach other endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are just as bad as BPA.
- Use glass baby bottles for your infants.
- Be careful with cash register receipts. If you use a store regularly, encourage the management to switch to BPA-free receipts. I shop at Publix for my food and when I called them about the receipts it turns out they already switched. Nevertheless it is wise to limit your contact with all these receipts.
- Look for products that are made by companies that are Earth-friendly, animal-friendly, sustainable, certified organic and GMO-free. This applies to everything from food and personal care products to building materials, carpeting, paint, baby items, furniture, mattresses, and more. When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings, the latter of which is another source of phthalates.
- Choose toys made from natural materials to avoid plastic chemicals like phthalates and BPA/BPS, particularly for items your child may be prone to suck or chew on.
- Breastfeed your baby exclusively if possible, for at least the first year (to avoid phthalates exposure from infant formula packaging and plastic bottles/nipples).
- Use natural cleaning products, or make your own.
- Switch over to organic toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. EWG's Skin Deep database16 can help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
- Replace your vinyl shower curtain with a fabric one.
- Replace feminine hygiene products (tampons and sanitary pads) with safer alternatives. While most ingredients in feminine hygiene products are undisclosed, tests suggest they may contain dioxins and petrochemical additives.
- Look for fragrance-free products: phthalates are often used to help the product hold its fragrance longer. Artificial fragrance can also contain hundreds—even thousands—of potentially toxic chemicals. Avoid fabric softeners, dryer sheets, air fresheners and scented candles for the same reason.
- Check your home's tap water for contaminants and filter the water if necessary. You may also want to use an alternative to PVC pipes for your water supply.
- Teach your children not to drink water from the garden hose, as many are made with phthalate-containing plastics. They are typically more expensive but usually higher quality hoses are well worth the investment.
- Avoid using pesticides and herbicides around your home.
- Avoid all products containing triclosan, which is yet another endocrine-disruptor. The chemical structure of triclosan is similar to thyroid hormones and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), allowing it to attach to thyroid hormone receptors.
By Dr. Mercola
Most of us wish for our children to be healthy and free of disease. We wish the same for ourselves as adults, too. But it’s time to critically examine and have an open conversation about whether multiple vaccines in early childhood should be our nation’s No. 1 disease-prevention strategy.
In fact, such a conversation is long overdue. Many red flags have appeared that suggest vaccines not only have the potential for failure but also for harm. There can be little doubt that we need to review the safety and effectiveness of the current vaccination program in the U.S.
If you're not sure this is necessary, just consider some of the recent vaccine failures that have made headlines. The one-size-fits-all vaccination schedule in the U.S. is not safe for every child, and there comes a point when we may well be sacrificing too many children's lives in the name of "the greater good."
Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine conducted a study involving malnourished children in Bangladesh. One of the hallmarks of malnutrition is stunted growth.
Despite being given regular medical care, vaccinations and food, stunted growth increased among the children, from 9.5 percent at the start of the study to nearly 28 percent by 1 year old. Children with stunted growth were found to have infections in their intestines more often than non-affected children.1
The researchers believe the children may not be digesting their food properly, and the infections likely play a role. Similar results were found among U.S. children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The study also found that vaccines given orally to these malnourished children (and presumably to children with IBD or other gut infections) become less effective. The worse the gut inflammation in the child, the less effective the vaccines (including those for rotavirus and polio) became.
Gut inflammation is widespread throughout the world, including in the U.S. where poor diets prevail. Before blindly vaccinating, we should be looking into how such vaccines may react in children with IBD and other gut issues.
Are they even effective? No one really knows. According to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases:2
"Most vaccine assessments have occurred in well-nourished populations of higher socioeconomic status. However, vaccines are often used in populations with high incidences of malnutrition and infections, in whom the effectiveness of some vaccines is inferior for unknown reasons.
The degree and extent of vaccine underperformance have not been systematically studied for most vaccines across differing epidemiologic settings."
There are three strains of wild poliovirus still circulating in the world, but vaccine-strain polio viruses also circulate.3
A large part of the problem is the polio vaccine itself, specifically the live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) that is not being given to children in the U.S. any more but is used in many other countries.
[The U.S. stopped using OPV in 1999 when the only cases of polio in the U.S. were being caused by the live virus vaccine. Children in the U.S. today receive four doses of the injected inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) that cannot cause vaccine strain polio.]
In Ukraine, two children were recently paralyzed by vaccine strain poliovirus type 1 after they received live OPV. The World Health Organization (WHO) noted:4
"The risk of further spread of this strain within the country is deemed to be high."
In early December 2015, the WHO was also notified of two additional cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV1) in Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Xaisomboun, a previously unaffected province.
To date, five cases have been associated with this outbreak, including a 7-month-old who received oral polio vaccine in September and a 14-year-old who has a history of receiving the vaccine.
Both suffered from Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) that was officially classified as confirmed vaccine derived polio virus cases.
Worldwide in 2015, there were 24 cases of cVDPV reporded with 10 of them in Madagascar, a country that somehow slipped under the radar when it came to cVDPV news reports this year.The type1 vaccine derived polio virus (cVDPV1) has also been isolated from the stools of 16 healthy people in other area provinces since the beginning of the outbreak.5
Not only can the oral polio vaccine cause vaccine-strain polio in the recently vaccinated individual, but some people who receive OPV are capable of shedding the virus in their body fluids for decades and can infect others with vaccine strain polio virus, particularly people who are immune compromised.6
At this point in time, as health officials are declaring a victory in eliminating the wild polio virus in large portions of the world, vaccine-caused polio is a growing problem.
The polio virus in the vaccine can mutate into a deadlier version in the intestines of a recently vaccinated person or someone who “catches” the vaccine strain polio virus from that person, igniting new outbreaks.
According to a 2010 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, outbreaks of vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) have been occurring at a rate of once or twice per year since the year 2000.7
So are we really any better off? Polio can cause difficulty breathing and paralysis as the virus attacks and kills motor nerve cells that control your muscles. It can also cause death in its most severe form.
However, what is not often shared is that in most cases of wild polio virus infection, it is a mild illness, causing flu-like symptoms that disappear in two to 10 days. Often, polio can occur and show no symptoms at all. Even the Mayo Clinic states:8
"The vast majority of people who are infected with the polio virus don't become sick and are never aware they've been infected with polio."
Although polio vaccine has been promoted as the best way of preventing polio, the vaccine has certainly not been the only, nor the ultimate, solution to prevent this disease.
Maintaining a strong and well-functioning immune system will always be the first line of defense, as this reduces the risk of any number of diseases, including polio.
The flu shot is one of the most controversial vaccines of all, not only because it's recommended every year, but also because of its many years of dismal failures. Not surprisingly, many Americans are now dubious of its effectiveness.
A recent Harris Poll of more than 2,200 Americans revealed one-third don't believe the flu shot will protect them, while only 43 percent "strongly believed" it would. A sizeable number also correctly believed there were other ways to protect against the flu than a flu shot.9
Strategies mentioned included frequent hand washing, staying well rested, eating healthy and taking vitamins. Perhaps more people are becoming aware that the flu vaccine is often a major flop. For instance, last year's (2014-2015) flu vaccine had an abysmal 18 percent effectiveness rate.
The long-term effects of annual flu vaccination are unknown, but it appears this strategy may be backfiring, leaving those who have been vaccinated annually less protected than those with no prior flu vaccination history.10
Research presented at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego revealed that children who get seasonal flu shots are more at risk of hospitalization than children who do not. Children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization as children who had not. Among children with asthma, the risk was even higher.11
There remain more questions than answers when it comes to vaccinations, which is why we regularly see "mysterious" side effects – like narcolepsy – popping up after vaccinations enter widespread use. The swine flu (H1N1) vaccine (Pandemrix), for instance was causally linked to an increased risk of narcolepsy among children and adolescents.12
About 1,000 people who received the swine flu shot developed the neurological disorder and will live with it the rest of their lives. If this is news to you, it's probably because few media outlets picked up on this story at the time.
In 2014, New York City began requiring pre-school children to get an annual flu shot in order to attend city-regulated, nonfamily daycare facilities. The NYC health department rule, instituted during the final days of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, affected more than 100,000 children between the ages of 6 and 59 months.
Earlier this month, state Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez judged the NYC flu shot mandate issued by public health officials to be “invalid and unlawful” because it is in “direct violation of the New York State Public Health Law.”13 Basically, the city’s health department officials do not have the regulatory power to impose a flu shot requirement on children without getting approval from elected representatives in the state legislature.
Immediately after the NY Supreme Court struck down the NYC unlawful flu shot mandate for pre-school children, a Bronx Assemblyman introduced a bill (AO8633) in the legislature to require all pre-school children in the whole state to get an annual flu shot.14
With your legal right to make independent vaccine decisions for yourself and your family being eroded at a rapid clip these days, the NY Supreme Court decision temporarily gives parents in New York City at least some control over which vaccines their children will get. But the new bill pending in the New York legislature, which would make annual flu shots a statewide mandate for all pre-school children, could be a huge problem if parents do not make their voices heard in Albany in 2016.
In many states across the U.S., public health department officials are increasingly joining with medical trade and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists to severely restrict or eliminate religious and philosophical or conscientious belief vaccine exemptions for all children. This year, California became the first state to eliminate the personal belief vaccine exemption for both religious and conscientious beliefs after heavy industry lobbying in the state legislature.
Children attending daycare and public or private elementary, middle and high schools in California now must receive every federally recommended dose of 10 vaccines or provide a medical exemption signed by a medical doctor or other state-approved medical worker in order to get a school-based education.
Connecticut and New Jersey, for instance, already have annual flu shot mandates in place that force parents to vaccinate infants and young children or they cannot be enrolled in daycare. And Rhode Island has a requirement that students be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), another controversial vaccine, before entering seventh grade.
A growing number of teens are speaking out against the HPV vaccine (Gardasil and Cervarix) after suffering debilitating side effects. Gardasil vaccine victims include more than 130 girls in Ireland and more than 1,100 girls in Denmark. You can watch and listen to the experience of one Gardasil victim in the video above.
Among the more serious HPV vaccine side effects reported are chronic fatigue, chronic regional pain syndrome, postural tachycardia syndrome, and fibromyalgia.15 Jesper Mehlsen of the Frederiksberg Hospital in Denmark explained, “We have noted a pattern of symptoms in a relatively large group of patients and that these symptoms seem to have a temporal association to the vaccination.”16
Its also been reported that the HPV vaccine may make you more susceptible to being infected with strains of HPV not included in the vaccine. In an analysis of nearly 600 women between the ages of 20 and 26, 60 percent of those who had received the original Gardasil vaccine, which protects against only four strains (types) of HPV (6,11,16,18), had a higher risk of being infected with another non-vaccine HPV virus strain.17
The unvaccinated women had lower rates of the non-vaccine high-risk strains of HPV, which suggests getting vaccinated may make you more susceptible to being infected with other strains of HPV. And, even though Merck, the manufacturer of Gardasil, is now marketing a new nine-strain version of Gardasil vaccine in the U.S., there are several hundred strains of HPV and 40 of those strains are sexually transmitted.
When HPV infection is cleared by more than 90 percent of sexually active women and men without symptoms and decades of evidence shows that cervical cancer associated with chronic HPV infection can be prevented and treated with regular pap screenings, there is an urgent need to re-evaluate the risks of HPV vaccine reactions and failures.18 It’s yet another example of the many unanswered questions that could be putting people’s health at risk when it comes to vaccination.
In the video above, you can hear from Ben Hammond, a previously healthy Australia man who was given a Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) booster required by the hospital, where his son was born prematurely. After the ‘routine’ pertussis vaccine containing shot, which he was forced to receive so he could visit his son in the neonatal intensive care unit, he developed Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), an immune-mediated brain inflammation.
The Tdap-induced brain inflammation left him a quadriplegic for several months. Although he has regained some mobility, he has suffered permanent brain damage and other disabling health problems that make it impossible for him to work, leaving the family in financial and emotional ruin.
It is well known that whole cell and acellular pertussis vaccine in DPT and DTap/Tdap vaccines can cause brain inflammation and permanent brain damage in both children and adults. Nearly 3,000 cases of pertussis vaccine induced brain injury and death have been awarded compensation in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.19
As reported by Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center:
"A 2013 published study evaluating reports of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following vaccination in the U. S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) and in a European vaccine reaction reporting system found that seasonal influenza vaccine was the most frequently suspected cause of brain inflammation after 18 years old, representing 32 percent of the total cases reported, and pertussis containing DTaP was among the vaccines most frequently associated with brain inflammation in children between birth and age 5."
Adding insult to injury, the practice of “cocooning,” which is what led Hammond to get the Tdap vaccine in the first place, is a controversial practice. It’s a strategy being promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and government health officials as an effective way of protecting babies from B. pertussis whooping cough by vaccinating their parents and other adult caregivers.
However, there is little evidence to show that this works. A Canadian study investigated how many parents would need to be vaccinated in order to prevent infant hospitalizations and deaths from pertussis using the cocoon strategy, and the results were dismal. They found the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) for parental immunization was at least 1 million to prevent 1 infant death, approximately 100,000 for ICU admission, and >10,000 for hospitalization.20
With all the uncertainty surrounding the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, it's critical to protect your right to make independent health choices and exercise voluntary informed consent to vaccination. It is urgent that everyone in America stand up and fight to protect and expand vaccine informed consent protections in state public health and employment laws. The best way to do this is to get personally involved with your state legislators and educating the leaders in your community.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY.
National vaccine policy recommendations are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level. It is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact.
It is critical for EVERYONE to get involved now in standing up for the legal right to make voluntary vaccine choices in America because those choices are being threatened by lobbyists representing drug companies, medical trade associations, and public health officials, who are trying to persuade legislators to strip all vaccine exemptions from public health laws.
Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org gives you immediate, easy access to your own state legislators on your Smart Phone or computer so you can make your voice heard. You will be kept up-to-date on the latest state bills threatening your vaccine choice rights and get practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community.
Also, when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips.
So please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal.
If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury, or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with one another, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story.
I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it.
We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies or public health officials promoting forced use of a growing list of vaccines to dominate the conversation about vaccination.
The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mandatory vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings.
I encourage you to visit the website of the non-profit charity, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), at www.NVIC.org:
- NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims: View descriptions and photos of children and adults, who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries, and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here.
- If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 Questions: Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries.
- Vaccine Freedom Wall: View or post descriptions of harassment and sanctions by doctors, employers, and school and health officials for making independent vaccine choices.
- Vaccine Failure Wall: View or post descriptions about vaccines that have failed to work and protect the vaccinated from disease.
If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination.
However, there is hope.
At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents.
It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day or continuing to provide medical care for those families, who decline use of one or more vaccines.
So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.
