. . . freshly squeezed morning orange juice? It’s so passe´! A new study from Harvard has confirmed what Raymond Francis has been saying for years – moderate consumption of whole fruit is good; fruit juice, on the other hand, floods your bloodstream with too much sugar, which has damaging effects. The Harvard researchers analyzed diet data from three mammoth studies that followed more than 180,000 nurses and other health professionals for about twenty years to look for correlations between fruit consumption and type 2 diabetes risk. It probably won’t surprise Newsclips readers to hear they found fruit consumption significantly associated with a lowered risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and fruit juice consumption associated with a higher risk. Interestingly, they found certain fruits a lot more beneficial than others in reducing diabetes risk, independent of their glycemic index. Of the ten fruits included in the study, blueberries were far and away the top performers, low…

. . . shockingly widespread, some estimates say 2 out of 5 lack this vital nutrient While nutritional deficiencies are still more common in developing countries, some recent data suggests that it being mostly a third-world problem is simply a cultural myth. According to recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition data, 6% of the people in the US and the UK are vitamin B12 deficient by age 60. Plus, marginal deficiencies occur in another 20% of those surveyed, with significant deficiencies increasing substantially after age 60. While other studies show vegetarians and vegans are at even higher risk—including babies born to vegetarian mothers—clearly, they’re not the only ones making up these B12 deficiency statistics. Thus, it begs the question… Why are so many of us deficient in vitamin B12? Studies published in numerous medical journals show vitamin B12 is a critical component of brain function. They link deficiency to memory and thinking problems, dementias, and even…

. . . plus, how skin is your body’s early warning system for recognizing disease By now, you know skin is your body’s largest organ. And as you might expect, its size is a telling indicator of the important role it plays in our overall health. Because skin—all 22 square feet and 8 pounds of it—is made up of a complex system of cell layers, nerves, and glands that protects us, nourishes us, and helps us interact with the outside world. How your skin is a window to your overall health Scientists generally agree that the health of your skin is a reflection of your overall health. In other words, if you look healthy on the outside, you are likely healthy on the inside. In fact, there are many ways your skin provides clues that something is wrong internally. Inflammation, discoloration, swelling, numbness, wrinkles—to name a few—are “early warning signs” that can be used to identify hidden health risks, or the onset of serious disease conditions. Not surprisingly, such ind…

by Raymond Francis Headlines are screaming, “Don’t Waste Your Money on Multivitamins.” The drug companies are at it again, and if you like propaganda and misinformation, you will love the latest nonsense coming out of the disease industry. Drug companies are waging a worldwide effort to discredit vitamins and to make them less available to the general public. In many places, including Europe, they are succeeding. Laws have been passed to limit access to vitamins. Their latest attack is a study, funded by Big Pharma, published in the December 2013 Annals of Internal Medicine. This study concluded that multivitamins are a waste of money and that they do nothing to prevent disease. Several recent studies have found that multivitamins do nothing to boost the average American’s health, offering few if any benefits. An estimated half of all Americans take vitamin and mineral supplements, and multivitamins amount to about half of all vitamin sales. The so-called experts behind this rese…

The holiday season brings a plethora of good things - spending time with family you haven’t seen in a while, seeing the utter happiness on your kids’ faces when they see the first snowfall or open a present, a chance to refocus your spiritual life, and so on. But, inevitably, this season does bring with it one negative thing - STRESS. Now, many of us handle stress well in our day-to-day lives, but as we all know, the holiday season is anything but day-to-day. Cooking huge meals, dealing with the hustle and bustle of busy stores and battling coldweather issues are just a few of the situations that throw us off our routine and create stress this time of year. Stress is harmful to our bodies and to our immune system - and we all know how important our immune system is! Stress can contribute to all six of the pathways that lead to sickness, so it is vital to counteract it. And it’s not something that you can just deal with - you must alleviate it before it has a chance to have neg…

. . . plus, one more reason choosing to breastfeed benefits newborns Iodine deficiency is a global problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 72% of the world’s population is iodine deficient. In the U.S. alone—according to the most recent CDC National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES)—the number of people with moderate to severe iodine deficiency (<50ug/L urinary iodine concentrations) increased some 300% since 1970. Iodine is essential for cell metabolism. But it’s better known for its role in regulating the rate of metabolism and production of thyroid hormones. Given this critical role in thyroid function, it’s no wonder we’ve seen an explosion of thyroid disease. Additionally, iodine deficiency is known to cause birth defects, reduced mental capacities, ADD, autism, increased risk of breast, prostate, ovarian, and other cancers, infertility, and more. Now, here’s more reason to be concerned about the most vulnerable in our society…our children. Why is…

. . . five of the biggest drug industry lies debunked Recent media accounts condemning the integrity of supplements are nothing new. The FDA, Big Pharma, and their cronies in the news media have spent years making sure you—the consumer—remain confused and frustrated about using supplements for preventing and reversing disease. So, we decided to expose five of the most blatant lies told by the drug industry. These cover-ups, half-truths, and untruths covertly inflate the benefits of prescription drugs and downplay the value of nutritional supplements. We hope you see through their big lies long enough to restore your faith in the integrity of supplements…and your health. BIG LIE #1. Drug industry claims ‘no conflict of interest’. The FDA and Big Pharma have repeatedly teamed up in clinical trials to condemn life-enhancing supplements. Yet, they push through approval of dangerous—but very profitable—prescription drugs. How? By appointing former drug industry executives to FDA…

When the American Medical Association (AMA) was founded in 1846, one might imagine it was to further the science of medicine. In fact, the real reasons had a lot more to do with economics. In 1844, the first medical association in the United States was founded; it was the American Institute of Homeopathy. At the time, homeopathy was extremely popular in both the US and Great Britain (still popular in England; the British royalty have been treated by homeopaths since 1830). When two years later the AMA was established, one of its stated goals was to curb the growth of homeopathy. Although its ostensible intent was to expose and eliminate “unscientific” health practices and thereby “protect the consumer,” it was well known to early members of the AMA that its real aim was to destroy competition from homeopaths, naturopaths, and herbalists who were successfully treating patients. With wealthy backers like Andrew Carnegie, the AMA accomplished its objective of marginalizing what came…

Question:  I have a stomach ulcer and have been diagnosed with an H. pylori infection. My doctor wants to put me on antibiotics. Is there an alternative treatment for H. pylori? B. D. – Patternson, NJ Answer: Yes. Any infection is an indication that immunity is weak, and has probably been weak for some time. An alternative approach would be to strengthen the immune system while eating a bland diet to avoid irritating the ulcer; taking herbs that heal mucous membranes, like licorice, aloe vera extract, slippery elm and/or marshmallow root extract; taking glutamine to rebuild the stomach lining; and using herbal antimicrobials like olive leaf or oregano oil and oregano capsules in place of antibiotics. For information on using oregano oil therapeutically, see Dr. Cass Ingram’s The Cure is in the Cupboard. Coconut oil is also very good for killing H. pylori. See Coconut Cures, by Bruce Fife, for how to use coconut oil therapeutically. Any of my books will describe the holistic li…

Question:  For years the Food and Drug Administration has maintained that the antibacterial triclosan is safe. Now they’re backtracking and asking manufacturers that include triclosan in their products to prove it is safe and effective. What is your opinion of triclosan? – Internet Answer: Triclosan is a chlorinated aromatic compound that kills bacteria by breaking open their cell walls. Evidence from animal and test-tube studies has established that triclosan interferes with normal biochemistry and is not safe for human use. It inhibits fatty acid synthesis. It has been shown to be an endocrine disrupter that impairs thyroid function and alters estrogen levels. A series of experiments reported last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tracked the effects of triclosan on mice, fish, minnows and human cardiac and skeletal muscle. These experiments found triclosan hindered muscle contractions at the cellular level by impairing the flow of calcium into and out…

. . . and best ways you can get more in your diet to improve brain function Fish oil has been creating a lot of buzz in the news lately. This time, it’s not another rigged scientific study, or ruthless attack by the news media. Instead, it’s one more real-life success story documenting the significant health benefits of fish oil. This latest “miracle” comes out of Palm Desert, California. Sixteen-year-old Grant Virgin suffered significant injuries following a hit-and-run accident. Including a torn aorta, skull fractures, traumatic brain injury (TBI), compound bone fractures, and spinal fractures. Doctors offered little hope as young Grant fell into a coma. In fact, they told parents John and JJ Virgin that Grant would likely die from his injuries. While doctors resigned themselves to losing Grant—and advised the Virgins to do the same—John and JJ instead chose to fight for their son’s life. Eventually Grant’s body would stabilize as he spent the first several weeks on a…

After more than two decades, the FDA is proposing sweeping changes to nutrition labels. First lady Michelle Obama—marking the fourth anniversary of her Let’s Move initiative to combat childhood obesity—joined the FDA in announcing the proposed changes from the White House. The agency said the label changes are meant to account for modern eating habits and reflect new nutrition research that links diet to chronic diseases, like obesity. Food label’s new look Check out this food label infographic by Karl Tate for LiveScience.com. It shows how the new label would: Display ‘calories’ (and ‘servings per container’) in larger, bolder font. Meant to quickly attract consumers’ attention, this change addresses the biggest factor driving obesity—excess calorie consumption. Update ‘serving size’ to reflect what people actually consume in one sitting. For example, a single serving of ice cream would increase from half a cup to a full cup. Products like bottled soda—typically consu…

In Never Be Sick Again, Raymond Francis refers to a healthy, 131-year-old man named Jose Maria Roa, living in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. When asked if he’d ever been sick, Roa said well, yes, he’d had a few colds. A few colds in 131 years! Contrast Mr. Roa to the average person living today, who gets a few colds every year, and you begin to see how far we’ve come from healthy living. But some of us aren’t getting colds anymore. Nor do we fear Ebola. And we’re not poisoning ourselves with flu shots either. How do we do it? By keeping our immunity strong! The immune system is designed to recognize and clear pathogens from the body before they cause disease. If you give your body the nutrients it needs, protect it from toxins, get enough exercise and sleep, and minimize stress, you enable your immune system to work the way nature intended. One vitamin you must have in sufficient quantities for proper immune function is vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical to many immune func…

Feeling tired all the time? Cold intolerant? Depressed? Constipated? Losing your hair? Do you gain weight easily, or have muscle or joint pain, or are you forgetful and unable to concentrate? These are some of the major symptoms of hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone or not enough hormone is getting into your cells to do its job. If hypothyroidism is a problem for you, you may be surprised to learn that fluoride, which is dumped by the ton into much of our public water, was once used as a medication for deliberately suppressing thyroid function in cases of overactive thyroid. Why are we dumping a thyroid-suppressing drug into our public water?  Good question! Even the government’s National Research Council voiced concern about fluoride’s effects on the thyroid in a 2006 report. They found “clear evidence” that amounts of fluoride at or near levels added to US water present potential risks to the thyroid gland.…

We’ve been singing the praises of fish oil for years now. That’s because fish oil provides certain fats that are sorely lacking in the average diet: the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. In fact, if you’re not going out of your way to get omega-3 fatty acids, you are almost certainly not getting enough. Our bodies synthesize about one trillion new cells every day. Each cell requires the right kinds of fats for its cell membrane. If you aren’t getting enough omega-3s in your diet, you are creating malfunctioning cell membranes and hence malfunctioning cells. Over time, this will have disastrous effects, especially in the brain (which is mostly fat) and nervous system. Now it seems that fish oil may take some of the pain out of nicotine withdrawal. Israeli researchers asked 48 smokers who were not trying to quit to take capsules containing 2,710 milligrams of EPA and 2,040 milligrams of DHA daily or a placebo for one month. At the end of the month, nicotine cravings were down sub…

Beyond Health is a unique company in many ways. One way is that while most companies perform a service in order to make money, we’re in business to provide a service. So service comes first with us, and we’d love it if you’d tell us how we can serve you better.Scientist Raymond Francis, our company founder and president, already had a very successful career as an international management consultant when he got sick and almost died. His death was a medical certainty. He was forced to use his own knowledge of biochemistry to save his life. After he recovered, he vowed to use that knowledge to help others get well and stay well. As a citizen, he was also worried about the enormous drain our current epidemic of chronic illness has been on our national economy, and he wanted to do what he could to address and solve that national problem.In his recovery process Raymond also discovered the need for high-quality vitamin supplements. Only high-quality vitamins will supply the body with what it…

When people get sick, their first concern is generally getting well so they can “get back to their lives.” But sometimes a serious illness catapults you into a whole new life you never could have imagined. Such was the case with our company founder and president, Raymond Francis. Three decades ago, Raymond had parlayed his MIT-education in engineering and chemistry into a career many would envy. As a corporate turnaround consultant and an expert in industrial quality and productivity, who was called in to make failing businesses profitable again, Raymond had established an impressive record of international success. He had even been called in to advise the governments of China and Fiji. However, a life-threatening illness changed all that. When doctors not only failed to help him, but only made things worse, he saw that getting well was going to be his greatest challenge yet. It would require digging deep into his reservoirs of strength and hope and working simultaneously on eve…

Gloria Swanson is known for playing the delusional Norma Desmond in the movie “Sunset Boulevard.” But in real life, she was a very sane and smart woman, and an early convert to the natural health movement. In the 1970s she toured the US helping her husband William Duffy to promote a book he authored that became a dietary classic, Sugar Blues. Sugar Blues is an indictment of refined sugar as a dangerous and addictive toxin with disastrous effects on the brain and mental health (both Linus Pauling and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who agreed with Duffy about sugar, are cited in the book). Although Duffy’s book has had a significant impact on a health-conscious minority, sugar consumption continues to ravage the mental health of millions of Americans in minor and major ways. It has been linked with all kinds of mental distress, from depression to schizophrenia, while sugar and a high-glycemic diet have been linked specifically with depression. As noted in a recent Newsclips article,…