. . . there is almost always a better natural alternative to toxic medications Prescription drugs are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. Properly prescribed prescription drugs kill an estimated 300,000-400,000 yearly. How many deaths have vitamins caused? None! Researchers at the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service were disturbed to find that the US government's American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) attributed 11 deaths to vitamins in the 27 years for which they have data. Now that's less than one death every two years from vitamins compared to hundreds of thousands of deaths from drugs yearly, but the researchers were skeptical that there was even one death from vitamins, so they probed a little deeper. The AAPCC uses a 4-point rating scale in attributing "Relative Contribution to Fatality:" (1) undoubtedly responsible, (2) probably responsible, (3) contributory, and (4) probably not responsible. When the researchers delved into the records, they found one of…

   . . . found in just about all processed foods Could anything be worse than the deadly metabolic poison, table sugar (sucrose)? Yes! It's sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is found in almost all processed foods, Americans are eating tons of it, and it's a killer!   HFCS Causes Obesity.  When rats were given solutions of either HFCS or sucrose in water, those given the HFCS gained more weight than those given the sucrose, even though the same number of calories was consumed. Plus, this weight was gained as "belly fat," the worst kind. Bocarsly ME. High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats, increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. 2010;97:101-106. HFCS and Transfats Cause Liver Disease.  Mice fed hydrogenated vegetable oil as 13.5% of total calories and given HFCS in their drinking water became obese and developed glucose intolerance, severe fatty liv…

. . . chances are it's not enough From an informal survey of our customers, it appears that many aren't taking nearly enough vitamin C to achieve optimal health. Vitamin C is pivotal to the Beyond Health lifestyle and to reversing just about any disease. Please don't go by government recommendations, which are based on preventing the disease scurvy and do not at all reflect the human need for this precious vitamin that has more than 300 functions in the human body. Famous vitamin C researcher Linus Pauling discovered that human beings have a unique need for vitamin C. Most animals, with the exception of humans, apes, guinea pigs, fruit bats and some birds, have an enzyme that converts glucose (blood sugar) to vitamin C as needed. For example, a goat weighing 110 pounds will normally make over 9 grams of vitamin C a day. That would translate into 13 grams for a 154-pound human. A lab rat will synthesize 20-70 mg a day, which translates into 4-15 grams for that same human. But when goats…

. . . big business invades the health food market Certain packaged foods that were once organic are now conventional, but they're still being marketed as organic! The Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit committed to protecting small farmers and the health-minded public, discovered that although Whitewave/Silk Soymilk, now owned by dairy giant Dean Foods, was no longer organic, its barcode had never been changed by the manufacturer, so it was being placed on shelves along with organic products. A similar problem was discovered with products from Golden Temple, a division of Hearthside Food Solutions; cereals and granola packaged under their Peace Cereal brand haven't been organic for 3 years, but the barcode was never changed to reflect that, so retailers (rightly) assumed they were organic and featured them as such. One of the problems is that the organics industry is booming. While total food sales grew by less than 1% in 2010, the Organic Trade Association annual survey found that the…

. . . health workers refuse them! According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) although flu season usually peaks in January and February, it can start as early as October. Also according to the CDC, it is never too early to get an annual flu shot. However, a CDC survey found that only about 63% of doctors, nurses and other clinicians choose to get them. I remember back in 2009 the number of health workers getting flu shots was less than half. Maybe the percentage has risen because many hospitals have coerced their personnel into getting flu shots with a mandatory vaccination policy: get a shot or wear a surgical mask whenever you are in contact with a patient. Whereas this has been successful in forcing some health workers to get the shots, in some cases it has led to protests. One such grievance is pending before the National Labor Relations Board. The fact is many health workers know that flu shots are both ineffective and dangerous and don't want them. For more on vaccinations…

. . . yes, if it's the wrong kind! The second study was done under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the potential benefits of vitamin E and selenium for preventing prostate cancer. It had to be terminated when researchers found 400 IU of vitamin E daily was actually increasing the risk of prostate cancer. But what form of vitamin E were these scientists using? The wrong kind! Synthetic alpha tocopherol acetate! Here is a quote from my Roadmap to Choosing Supplements on vitamin E (emphases added): There are different forms of vitamin E, and they are not equal in chemical structure or function. Most vitamin E supplements contain alpha tocopherol, yet there is growing evidence indicating that it may be harmful to consume alpha tocopherol without at the same time obtaining gamma tocopherol. They must be taken together for best results. Another problem is synthetic vitamin E, which is not well absorbed and has been found to be only half as effective as natural E. F…

. . .Two new "junk science" studies provide ammunition The supplement industry has been under attack lately by the FDA and certain members of Congress acting in the interests of Big Pharma. Now two new studies have appeared that provide ammunition by seeming to corroborate the old chestnut that vitamin and mineral supplements are useless, if not downright dangerous, and that we are better off meeting our nutrient needs with a healthy diet. The first study found that older women living in Iowa who took dietary supplements died at slightly higher rates than women who did not take supplements. The second was terminated when researchers found that taking vitamin E was increasing the risk of developing prostate cancer. Before looking at these studies more closely, let's remember that as far back as 1998, the National Academy of Sciences issued a statement that most people can no longer get all the nutrients they need from diet alone, even if they eat an especially good diet with plenty of f…

. . . Older Iowan women do just as well or better without taking a multi The first study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed almost 39,000 women for 19 years. The women were age 55-69 when the study began. By the study's end, about 40% of them had died: 41% of multivitamin users died compared to 40% of non-users. Similar close comparisons were found for women taking or not taking individual nutrients; sometimes the supplement-takers came out a little ahead, and sometimes the non-supplement-takers fared a bit better. Not a big difference, and a far cry from proof that supplements increase the risk of death (as implied by some media headlines reporting this study). At the same time, these results are not encouraging if you're spending your hard-earned money on supplements hoping to improve your chances of a long, healthy life. There've been many criticisms of this study, which has been called a good example of "junk science," but here's the main problem: all the dat…

. . .a slow and steady decline in health In ancient societies, a slow death by poisoning was a common fate befalling royalty; slipping a little arsenic into the king's wine every day led to a steady decline in his health until one day, voila! Regime change! Americans now pamper ourselves like royalty with all kinds of bodycare products: shampoos and conditioners, soaps, cosmetics, lotions, hand creams, eye creams, night creams, shaving creams, firmers, toners, colognes, deodorants and toothpastes. The average American uses 9 such products each and every day; a lot of people use as many as 15. Unfortunately, unless you've been unusually scrupulous in choosing products, you are, like ancient royalty, being slowly and steadily poisoned. In those 9 products, there are an average of 126 different synthetic chemicals -- not all poisons, but many toxic enough to do serious damage to your health. Toxins in bodycare products generally fall into four categories: neurotoxins, endocrine disrupters…

. . . a disease-care system out of control Most patients like to believe that their doctors' decisions regarding treatment are motivated by concern for patient health. However, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, all too many physician decisions are motivated by fear and greed, leading to an epidemic of over-treatment. In a survey of 627 members of the AMA, 75% admitted to over-treating patients due to fears of malpractice charges, while 62% agreed that diagnostic testing would be reduced if it didn't generate revenue. Since doctors are paid for both procedures and tests, the temptations to over-test and over-treat are great. Doctors also say they do more tests because they don't get enough time with their patients. Meanwhile another study found that in 2009 over $6.7 billion in excess healthcare spending was wasted in the primary care setting alone (primary care refers to health practitioners like family doctors who make initial assessments and oft…

. . .the truth behind the urban legend About ten years ago, a rumor that deodorants, especially antiperspirants, caused breast cancer spread through the Internet like a brush fire. No one seems to know how the rumor got started, but it referenced the fact that most breast cancers occur in the upper outer quadrant of the breast next to the armpit. Add this to the conglomeration of toxic ingredients in underarm products -- like parabens, aluminum, phthalates, propylene glycol, triclosan, talc, silica, polyethylene glycol, ethoxylated alkylphenols, and more -- many of them suspected or known carcinogens, and you have a plausible hypothesis. In 2002 an epidemiological study was commissioned by the National Cancer Institute to address the rumor. It compared 810 breast cancer patients to 793 controls with respect to antiperspirant and deodorant use. No significant differences were found, and the cosmetics industry breathed a little easier. But maverick researchers weren't satisfied, and smal…

. . . a cure for wrinkles? Want a reduction in wrinkles and crow's feet, improved skin tone, including softness, smoothness, elasticity, clarity and firmness? These were the results reported in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy after 12 weeks of sauna skin therapy. The skin is our largest organ of detoxification, removing over a pound of impurities daily. It breathes, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. If the skin's pores become clogged with wastes and dead skin cells, detox will be thwarted and the skin will also reflect conditions ranging from uneven skin textures to eczema and acne. By increasing sweat and helping the skin to expel toxins, saunas enhance the skin's health, youthfulness and beauty. The sweat produced in a conventional sauna is usually about 3% toxins; a broad spectrum infrared sauna, like the one used in this study, can produce sweat that is nearly 20% toxins. Although conventional saunas heat ambient air (making the sauna experience extremely unple…

. . . symptoms considered signs of aging may be the effects of prescription drugs Appetite loss, muscle pain and weakness, increased risk of falling and fractures, sedation, depression, poor memory and general cognitive decline, hallucinations, confusion, lethargy and fatigue, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, and renal failure are some of the symptoms commonly attributed to aging. But they may instead be the effects of prescription drugs. A guest blog for Scientific American by journalist Laura Newman was prompted by the death of her 92-year-old mother from statin side effects. At 5'1" and 105 pounds, Newman's mother had been prescribed 80 mg/day of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin -- a dose that's been criticized as too high for anyone. When she developed muscle weakness (later diagnosed as life-threatening rhabdomyolysis), her physician attributed it to aging and considered it no cause for concern. Her final diagnoses were rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, both…

. . . it's Vitamin E! If you've been reading the Newsclips for a while, you know you need a team of nutrients working together with calcium to build strong bones, and that our Bone Mineral Support Formula includes all the members of this team. But if osteoporosis is a concern, another supplement you might consider is Vitamin E. Bones are continually being broken down (demineralized) and built back up (mineralized). However as we age, various factors, especially excessive free radicals, can create an imbalance in favor of bone breakdown leading to the gradual thinning out and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis). As one of the most powerful antioxidants, vitamin E reduces free radicals and has been demonstrated to protect against osteoporosis and improve bone material and structure. Vitamin E comes in 8 different forms: there are 4 tocopherols (alpha, beta, delta and gamma) and 4 tocotrienols (also alpha, beta, delta and gamma). Our Vitamin E Formula is a balanced mix of the four tocop…

. . . unless you make your voice heard NOW! There hasn't been anything this dangerous to the alternative health industry in 17 years. Big Pharma's friends in the Senate and the FDA have launched a major assault on your health freedom and our ability at Beyond Health to function as a small business engaged in selling supplements. On July 1st, Senator Dick Durbin introduced S. 1310, the "Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011." The impact of this legislation would be to impose very expensive and unnecessary requirements on supplement companies to prove ingredients in their products are safe. In a one-two punch, the FDA then issued a draft guidance statement on supplement ingredient approval processes with a similar intent. That intent, although it purports to be protecting consumer safety, is to make the supplement ingredient approval process so cumbersome and expensive that it will drive small and medium-sized supplement companies out of business. It will also drive up prices that the…

. . . a special deal on 3 empowering books We have to give up on the idea that flu shots and medications are going to compensate for poor health. They not only don't compensate, they invariably make things worse, if not right away then long-term. But it's far from a hopeless situation! Although it takes some consciousness and effort to be healthy, almost everyone today suffers from an excess of powerlessness when it comes to health. We've been sold a bill of goods saying that we can't take charge of our health and be as healthy and vibrant as we want to be. The food and drug industries might like us to believe it, but it's just not true! You can take charge. Health is a choice you can make, but you have to know how. That's why I've written my three books: Never Fear Cancer Again, Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again.  Although all three present my one disease, two causes, six pathways model, each book has its own contribution to make to your self-empowerment and contains inf…

Swimming in chlorinated pools is a serious health hazard, most especially for children. Young children who spend more than a total of 20 hours in a chlorinated pool have a higher lifetime risk of respiratory infections and problems. The risk is even higher when swimming in a public pool where there are more people and more organic contamination. A 2010 study in Environmental Science & Technology has found that when sweat, urine, hair, skin, cosmetics, sunscreens, and other organics react with chlorine, some uniquely toxic chemicals are formed. These chemicals do genetic cell damage that has been linked with asthma and bladder cancer. As a practical matter, do not allow children to swim in chlorinated pools, and most especially not in large public pools. If you own a pool, switch from a chlorine system to a non-chlorine system.…

Six young girls died recently from shots of Merck’s Gardasil vaccine and GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix vaccine during an experimental Indian trial. The Indian government wanted a trial before granting import licenses for the vaccines. As a result of the trial, India has halted the use of these two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. It is interesting to note that India halted the use of the vaccines after only six deaths’. The U.S. continues their use after 67 deaths and still counting. In fact, U.S. officials keep pushing these vaccines on the public. There is no scientific evidence that vaccinations provide a useful benefit. There is, however, copious evidence that vaccines do harm. We on the Beyond Health staff routinely refuse all vaccinations. Infections are not caused by a vaccination deficiency. They are caused by nutritional deficiencies and toxicity. If you keep yourself healthy, you should live a lifetime without as much as a cold.…