Daily Archives: December 4th, 2008

And of course, not only do you probably not know about it, but more likely than not, you are unaware that it could solve the Malaria problem in Africa (as well AIDS).

I decided to give it a try, after the person who recommended it to me explained how much it helped him, and after a chance encounter at the Health Food Store in my local area, where I discussed it wish someone, who said her aunt had cleared her cancer (and been told by the doctor that it “must have been just a cyst” after having been told she’d require chemo).

I don’t have any really major life-threatening illnesses. What this has helped me with, is colds and flus (I’ve gotten a couple, and amazingly enough, recovered wthin a day, while my husband’s and in-laws’ flus lingered nearly two weeks- same exact symptoms). I don’t know if it’s this, or the combination of this and the other supplements and lifestyle changes I’ve made, but I have also realized a MAJOR decrease in the symptoms of my fascial myalgia (like fibromyalgia, only in connective tissues). In general, I have had a major change in my over-all mood (more positive) and health.

So, upon pain of likely ridicule, I’m posting it. I believe, but am not sure, that it was a poster here who introduced it to me. I would like to thank that person from the bottom of my heart.

Here’s the author’s note from his site, I think it sums up the efficacy of this simple, cheap product:

Source: http://miraclemineral.org/authormessage.php

Quote:

Dear Reader,

If you came to this site that means you are at least interested in MMS and what it can do.  So just let me give you the very basics of MMS right now so you can decide if you want to learn more or not.

A chemical called Stabilized Oxygen has been available in the US for over 75 years. It has been and is now mostly sold in health food stores.  This chemical has been successful and has been used by hundreds of thousands of people over these past 75 years.  Well, unbeknownst to everyone, this chemical produces something other than oxygen.  In fact it produces no oxygen at all.  Although it has been fairly effective, it just hasn’t produced the results that its proponents and manufacturers have desired.  For some reason over all those years no one ever noticed that It produces chlorine dioxide which is also an oxidizer but totally different than oxygen.  It is much more effective than oxygen.  Unfortunately it only produced small amounts of chlorine dioxide.

Chlorine dioxide is the most effective killer of disease germs known to man and is used in water works, stock yards, hospital floors, and in government buildings to kill Anthrax. When I discovered the Stabilized Oxygen often cured malaria while prospecting for gold in the Jungles of Guyana, I began to work on it to produce more chlorine dioxide.  Using a stronger mixture of the same chemical I was eventually able to make it produce up to 1000 times more chlorine dioxide.  It was then tested to be safe for humans.

This extremely potent oxidizer is amazing in that it is the only oxidizer use in this area that is selective to oxidize only the Pathogens.  It has been used for many years to kill the pathogens in city water works while not touching the beneficial bacteria.  In Africa I personally treated over 2000 malaria patients.  Keep in mind that malaria is the worst disease of mankind.  It has killed more people than all the wars and all the other disease combined.  It now kills over 2 million people a year, and yet MMS overcomes all of the malaria symptoms in 4 hours.  A person gets up out of bed and goes home.  In addition, the person’s blood always shows a complete cure.  And guess what; at the price it is selling in the US the cost to cure a single malaria case is less than 5 cents.   In Africa when we manufacture it, the cost will be only a fraction of that.

Well, you might ask; that may be OK for the people in Africa, but what will it do for me here in America?  Well, it overcomes colds in an hour or so, overcomes flu in less than 12 hours, overcomes pneumonia in less than 12 hours, cures more cancer than any other treatment by hundreds of times, cures hepatitis A, B, and C.  It cures appendicitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and a hundred other diseases.

So look, don’t believe me, because I don’t want you too, but I want you to read my book.  If you then think that I have not proved my case with real scientific data, papers from governments and letters from those who took part, then I will refund the total cost of the book and yes, the DVD also if you bought it.  What can you lose, if I am right you could save the life of a family member sometime within the next 5 years, and if you think I am wrong, you get your money back and you can keep the book and throw it away.  And more than that, if you buy the book, you are helping with the war on disease, and now for the first time the human race is beginning to win that war.

Your money comes to me.  I will be using it for my expenses or in one African nation to eliminate malaria and start the war on AIDS also in the same nation.   I have been to that country.  I have already done everything that I will continue to do when I go back.  I know how to do the job.  I want to prove to the world that it can be done, that malaria can be eliminated in one nation, that is.  With that done, there are those who will be willing to help other nations there.  With malaria gone, most of the poverty will be gone, as malaria is the major cause of poverty in Africa. So help yourself, help me, and help Africa.  Purchase a book.  Thank you for your interest.

Let me wish you good fortune and good luck.

What You Need to Know About Farmed Fish

fish, sushiDeclining ocean fish stocks have led to a rapid growth in fish farming. But if you think farmed fish are the answer, you might want to take a second look at its effects.

Carnivorous farmed fish are fed on high levels of fish meal and fish oil. In fact, they require a fish biomass input greater than the fish biomass produced. For the 10 species of fish most commonly farmed, an average of nearly two kilograms of wild fish is required for every one kilogram of fish raised.

Unfortunately, there is an increase in the production trend of carnivorous fish (such as salmon or shrimp) rather than herbivorous or filter feeder fish. Small pelagic fish, such as herring, sardines and anchovies, mainly provide the fish meal and fish oils used for aquaculture feed, increasing pressures on wild fish.

Numbers of popular species such as cod have plummeted; in the Mediterranean, 12 species of shark are commercially extinct. Swordfish in that area, which should grow as thick as a telephone pole, now must be caught as juveniles and eaten when no bigger than a baseball bat. The fish in the seas surrounding Africa and Asia are also in steep decline.

Sources:
Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
The fact that global fish supplies are dwindling dramatically is deeply concerning on a number of levels.

In 2003, it was found that the number of large fish, including tuna, marlin, swordfish, sharks, cod and halibut, in the world’s oceans had dropped by 90 percent in just 50 years. This means that only 10 percent of all large fish are left in the ocean.

One of the saddest commentaries I’ve heard on this issue is from Sergi Tudela, a Spanish marine biologist with the World Wildlife Fund, who speaks of the disappearance of giant bluefin tuna (which are prized for making sushi). He says:

“My big fear is that it may be too late. I have a very graphic image in my mind. It is of the migration of so many buffalo in the American West in the early 19th century. It was the same with bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean, a migration of a massive number of animals.
And now we are witnessing the same phenomenon happening to giant bluefin tuna that we saw happen with America’s buffalo. We are witnessing this, right now, right before our eyes.”

Why are Fish Disappearing?

Part of the problem has to do with irresponsible fishing practices, such as trawling, which essentially scoops up everything within range from the ocean floor — only about 5% of the contents are used, while the other 95% is dumped, dead, back into the ocean. Another problem is that fisheries are simply taking too many fish.

Studies show it takes industrial fisheries only 10 to 15 years to diminish any new fish community they encounter to one-tenth of its original size.

Much of the fish caught nowadays (about one-third) are actually not used for human food at all, but are ground up to be used as agricultural or aquacultural feed.

The solution that seems obvious would be to supplement wild fishing with “sustainable” farmed fish.

But that is a massive misconception.

Farm-raised fish are fed great quantities of fish meal, which comes from wild-caught fish. As the Organic Consumers Association pointed out, for the 10 species of fish most commonly farmed, it takes 1.9 kg of wild fish to produce 1 kg of farm-raised fish.

So instead of taking pressure off of the wild fish supplies, farmed fish are actually adding to it. And there are other problems with fish farms as well, problems that are contributing to the degradation of marine ecosystems. An article in the Los Angeles Times several years ago said it well:

“Fish wastes and uneaten feed smother the sea floor beneath these farms, generating bacteria that consume oxygen vital to shellfish and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures. Disease and parasites, which would normally exist in relatively low levels in fish scattered around the oceans, can run rampant in densely packed fish farms.

Pesticides fed to the fish and toxic copper sulfate used to keep nets free of algae are building up in sea-floor sediments. Antibiotics have created resistant strains of disease that infect both wild and domesticated fish.

Clouds of sea lice, incubated by captive fish on farms, swarm wild salmon as they swim past on their migration to the ocean.”

• Disease and parasites?
• Dangerous amounts of waste?
• Resistant strains of disease?

This sounds a lot like filthy, land-based factory farms to me. And, in fact, experts have begun to call fish farms nothing more than factory farms at sea.

What Else is Lurking in Farm-Raised Fish?

If the environmental concerns alone aren’t enough to make you want to steer clear of farm-raised fish, perhaps the health concerns will be.

Studies have consistently found levels of PCBs, dioxins, toxaphene and dieldrin, as well as mercury, to be higher in farm-raised fish than wild fish. Further, farm-raised fish, like factory-farmed meat, is pumped full of antibiotics, hormones and even chemicals to change their color (such as to make salmon appear pink).

Sadly, contamination of our oceans and waterways is so great that toxic pollutants have been found in wild fish as well, and this is why I don’t advise eating any fish, whether farm-raised or wild-caught, unless you can verify its purity.

What options do you have, then, to get the health benefits of the omega-3 fats in fish, without exposing yourself to pollutants or contributing to the decline of the fish population?

There are two ways. The first is to track down a source of wild fish that is free from toxins, and which is sustainably harvested. After years of research I found one such company, Vital Choice, which offers salmon with no harmful mercury or other toxin levels and which works closely with a native Alaskan tribe to ensure the salmon are sustainably harvested during their migration.

The second option is to get your omega-3 fat from an alternative source like krill oil. Not only are krill (small, shrimp-like creatures) a superior source of omega-3, but they are one of the most easily renewable food resources available, making them an excellent nutritional source from an environmental perspective.

Though I know many of you enjoy fish for the flavor and the health benefits, if you can’t confirm that it’s from a clean, sustainable source, I believe the risks from eating it — both to your health and the environment — vastly outweigh the benefits.

Related Articles:

Only 10% of All Large Fish Are Left in the Ocean

Farmed Salmon may Increase Your Cancer Risk

Gene-Altered Giant Salmon Cannibals

Chemotherapy Can do More Harm Than Good

patient, chemotherapyDoctors have been urged to be more cautious in offering cancer treatment to terminally-ill patients as chemotherapy can often do more harm than good, a study suggests.

The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) found that more than four in ten patients who received chemotherapy towards the end of life suffered potentially fatal effects from the drugs, and treatment was “inappropriate” in nearly a fifth of cases.

In a study of more than 600 cancer patients who died within 30 days of receiving treatment, chemotherapy probably caused or hastened death in 27 percent of cases, the inquiry found.

In only 35 percent of these cases was care judged to have been good by the inquiry’s advisors, with 49 percent having room for improvement and 8 per cent receiving less than satisfactory care.

Sources:
Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
In the conventional health paradigm, chemotherapy is the go-to treatment for cancer. People are paying up to $10,000 a month and sometimes more for these drugs, with the expectation that they will heal them from the disease.

Yet, these expensive and, by their very nature, highly toxic medications often give patients just a few more months of life, or worse end up killing them prematurely or even causing cancer down the line.

The biggest drawback to a conventional treatment like chemotherapy is it destroys healthy cells throughout your body right along with cancer cells. A typical and deadly side effect of chemo is the destruction of the rapidly multiplying and dividing cells found in your:

• Bone marrow, which produces blood
• Digestive system
• Reproductive system
• Hair follicles

In this most recent study, The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) found that more than four in 10 patients who received chemotherapy toward the end of life experienced potentially fatal effects! And after reviewing data from over 600 cancer patients who died within 30 days of receiving treatment, it was found that chemotherapy hastened or caused death in 27 percent of cases.

“The majority of the cancer patients in this country die because of chemotherapy, which does not cure breast, colon or lung cancer. This has been documented for over a decade and nevertheless doctors still utilize chemotherapy to fight these tumors,” said Dr. Allen Levin, MD, author of The Healing of Cancer.

Despite its reputation as the gold-standard cancer treatment, chemotherapy has an average 5-year survival success rate of just over 2 percent for all cancers, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Oncology in December 2004.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, I urge you to do the research for yourself, and make an educated decision about which course of treatment to take. A decision like this is simply too important to leave solely in the hands of your doctor.

The Best Known “Chemotherapy” Agent Ever Found

The American Cancer Society estimates that this year alone, 745,000 men and 692,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer. By 2018, this disease is projected to be the number one killer of all Americans, young and old alike.

The way to turn this around is two-fold:

1. Prevent cancer from occurring (I’ll get to that below)
2. Have a treatment for cancer that is effective and safe

This latter requirement is actually already here, and you can use it to not only prevent cancer but also to treat it.

What is it?

Vitamin D.

Calcitriol, the most potent steroid hormone in your body, and is produced in large amounts in the tissues of vitamin D-filled individuals. However, in patients with cancer, vitamin D is often in low supply.

Calcitriol has been shown to induce cell differentiation and to control cell proliferation — in simpler terms it protects against cancer. People with a low vitamin D level are less able to make calcitriol (activated vitamin D) in an amount sufficient to exert the controls over cell proliferation that are needed to reduce cancer.

Optimized vitamin D levels will work synergistically with virtually every other cancer treatment. There are over 830 peer reviewed scientific studies showing its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer.

Not only is this approach without virtually any side effects, but the treatment is practically free.

I believe it is nearly criminal malpractice to not optimize vitamin D levels when treating someone with cancer. Levels of vitamin D should be increased to 80-90 ng/ml.

To find out your levels, and to have them monitored throughout your treatment, make sure to have the blood test done by LabCorp, if you are in the United States. At this time, Quest labs has inaccurate and falsely elevated results.

The Essential Steps to Preventing Cancer

Normalizing your vitamin D levels will reduce your risk of cancer by over 50 percent, but there are a number of other strategies that are also important in your cancer-prevention plan.

One of the top steps is managing your emotional health. The majority of illness is caused by negative, unmanaged emotions. If you focus on pain, misery and grief, it’s likely you’ll experience and attract more of it into your life.

However, if you keep your focus on what you want to experience and put some energy into healthy lifestyle choices, your body will respond accordingly. Before you know it you will start to feel much better.

So finding a tool that will permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes is essential. One of the best approaches to processing your negative emotions is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and I highly recommend it.

Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer has also done wonderful work with his German New Medicine technique for solving emotional conflicts as the first step in healing disease.

The other top tips I recommend, in no particular order, include:

• Eating right for your nutritional type
Exercising
• Avoiding processed foods, grains and sugars (to control and lower your insulin levels)
• Eating a significant portion of your food raw
• Normalizing your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil or fish oil and reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils
• Getting plenty of high-quality sleep

Related Articles:

Does Chemo for Breast Cancer Cause More Harm Than Good?

Winning the War on Cancer

Chemotherapy’s Long-Term Effects Can Last a Decade or More

The Little Known Risks of Working From Home

home office, work from home, home, officeWorking from home has its advantages. No need to shower, shave or even dress; traffic jams are minimized to dodging laundry in the hallway; and then there’s the Judge Judy break at four.

Yet with such fringe benefits come disadvantages and dangers few employers are taking seriously and few employees understand, such as the stress of working daylong in front of a computer in what could be an ergonomically undesirable setting, injuries from household hazards, expectations of being available around the clock, or working alone without colleague interaction and, dare we imagine, without computer tech support.

What are the Risks?

Thousands of fires each year begin in the home office for a variety of reasons, according to data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System. A primary cause is overtaxed electrical systems, as telecommuters jam the electrical cords for fax, printer, computer, lamp and space heater into a single socket.

If Christmas tree lights can cause a short, imagine what office equipment can do.

In a traditional work setting most office workers have adequate lighting, ergonomically sound desks and keyboard rests, and comfortable, adjustable chairs. At home, many workers might toil away at the kitchen table or on a sofa, which might seem comfortable at first but could lead to eyestrain and musculoskeletal discomfort.

For great tips on how to ensure a comfortable and ergonomically sound home office, please see my previous article Is Your Office Ergonomic? The Amazing Difference 10 Simple No-Cost Steps Can Make.

Many at home tend to skip breaks too, as you don’t have any of the normal clues from other people around you to take a break. Although you may think of this as being more efficient, the opposite may be true. Everyone needs to take a break every now and then to stay productive.

Radon, concentrated in poorly ventilated basements, might not be a concern for the few minutes that one is doing laundry or other chores, but it becomes a cancer risk after eight-hour days in a basement office. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, claiming 21,000 lives each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

For even more details on the risks (and some of the benefits) of working from home, please see the source link below.

The Untold Truth about Sunscreen and Bug Spray…

Between your sunscreen and your bug repellant, I’m convinced you may be slathering your body with the equivalent of a ‘toxic waste dump’. Discover the truth about these two common substances — and what you can do now to have a fun and nontoxic summer season.

Find Out More

Related Articles:

50 Practical Home Office Feng Shui Tips

How Your House and Office Makes or Breaks Your Health

Is Your Office Ergonomic? The Amazing Difference 10 Simple No-Cost Steps Can Make

Is There a Toxic Secret in Victoria’s Secret Bras?

victoria's secret, bra, bras, brassiere, underwire, formaldehydeSeveral women have claimed that a popular type of bra from the leading lingerie firm Victoria’s Secret made them ill.

Roberta Ritter, 37, claims: “I had the welts that were very red, hot to the touch, extremely inflamed, blistery. It itched profusely. I couldn’t sleep and was waking up itching.”

Miss Ritter, from Ohio, filed a lawsuit against Victoria’s Secret in May and claims she has been contacted by dozens of women suffering similar symptoms who are now seeking permission to join her in a class-action lawsuit.

Her lawyers said they purchased the same bra types that Miss Ritter had bought and had them laboratory tested. They claim the tests revealed that the bras showed traces of formaldehyde, which is used in the textile industry to make fabrics crease-resistant. The lawyers believe Miss Ritter may be allergic to formaldehyde.

Sources:
Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Here’s yet another sad reminder of the toxic world we live in today. You are exposed to potentially hazardous poisons from so many areas on a daily basis – you’re not even safe from your underwear.

It’s easy to throw your hands up in despair and disgust, but remember, you are not entirely powerless. There are always healthier options, even when it comes to your undergarments.

But first, let’s look at why this hazardous toxin is rearing its ugly head in your closet to begin with.

Why Do They Put Formaldehyde in Bras?

Formaldehyde, most commonly known as embalming fluid, serves a number of purposes in manufactured products. It is actually frequently used in fabrics to give them a variety of “easy care properties” such as:

  • Permanent press
  • Anti-cling, anti-static, anti-wrinkle, and anti-shrink
  • Waterproofing and stain resistance
  • Perspiration proof
  • Moth proof
  • Mildew resistance
  • Color-fastness

According to the American Contact Dermatitis Society, rayon, blended cotton, corduroy, wrinkle-resistant 100 percent cotton, and any synthetic blended polymer are likely to have been treated with formaldehyde resins.

But as some are finding out the hard way, easy care comes at a price.

Health Hazards of Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde, for all its benefits, is also listed as a “probable carcinogen.” And, unfortunately, the United States is more lax about its regulation than most other countries. For example, “low level” of acceptable formaldehyde in Japan is 75 ppm, whereas the U.S. “low level” of acceptable formaldehyde is near 300 ppm.

There’s evidence that some people can develop sensitivity to formaldehyde from repeated exposure, which can eventually become a serious health concern.

You can be exposed to the chemical both via off-gassing and direct contact with your skin.

Formaldehyde has also been shown to cause cancer in animals, and may cause cancer in humans. Other common adverse health effects include:

  • fatigue
  • skin rash (contact dermatitis)
  • severe allergic reactions
  • eye, nose, and throat irritation
  • wheezing and coughing

Be aware that it takes several washings, with dryings and airings in between, to significantly reduce the amount of formaldehyde found in clothing and other household fabrics like window drapes.

So if you suffer from chemical sensitivities, it is important to pay careful attention to what you buy, especially if it’s going next to your skin. Contact dermatitis from clothing can be recognized by a chronic and recurring rash that appears on parts of your body where clothing fits tight.

Because heat and humidity increase the emissions from formaldehyde resins, the American Contact Dermatitis Society warns that areas around waistbands, collars, underarms, the upper back, inner thighs, and back of knees are more prone to chemical-induced skin rashes.

Other Little Known Dangers of Bras

Aside from the issue of formaldehyde (and who knows what else might be in there), the mere act of wearing a bra might not be in a woman’s best interest – health-wise, at least.

Some types of bras are worse than others, but many physicians and researchers are now warning that tight fitting bras should be avoided as they cut off lymph drainage. This can also contribute to breast cancer, as your body will be less able to excrete all the other toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis, such as aluminum from antiperspirants.

Bras have also been implicated in the rise of benign (non-cancerous) but often painful breast cysts and lumps. Says Dr. Dr. John McDougall, M.D., in his book titled The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart:

After repeated bouts of inflammation, the breasts develop scar tissue in many places, and some of the milk ducts become plugged, forming cysts. Fibrocystic breast disease, not surprisingly, is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

And according to Michael Schacter, M.D.:

Any activity which will help to remove accumulated toxins in the breasts will help to reduce the chances of developing breast cancer. It is the job of the lymphatic system of the body to help drain toxic substances from tissues and poor lymphatic drainage may play a role in breast cancer formation.

(Lymph flow) is very sensitive to constricting external pressure which can impede its flow. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow. So, the take home message to women is to wear bras as little as possible, and when wearing them try to choose one that is least constricting.”

Medical anthropologists Sydney Singer and Soma Grismaijer – authors of Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras — conducted a study of over 4,000 women, and found that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.

They also found that about 90 percent of fibrocystic patients improve when they quit wearing bras.

Beware of the Wire in Your Bra

If you wear metal underwire bras, you’re exposing yourself to an even greater level of hazard, as the wire can form an antenna attracting electromagnetic fields, which can also increase your risk of breast cancer.

Wearing metal on your body is something you generally want to avoid. If you feel you need the underwire, please consider switching out the metal wire in your favorite bra for a plastic wire, available in nearly any fabric store.

An even better option is to opt for a wireless style bra, which are now available in most brands, and for various levels of support.

To avoid a potentially dangerous chemical cocktail from soaking into your chest, look for organic varieties, which are now being offered by quite a few organic clothing manufacturers.

Last but not least, you can avoid some of the improper drainage issues if you wear a bra that is properly fitted. Many, many women simply wear bras that do not fit. The website Linda’s Bra School offers plenty of guidance on proper bra fitting and can help you find a more appropriate bra style.

Related Articles:

How Toxic is Your Average Laundry Detergent?

How to Avoid the Top 10 Most Common Toxins

The Toxic Bucket: How Environmental Medicine Unloads the Burden of Synthetic Chemicals From Your Body

Fluoride Exposure May Contribute to Early Puberty

fluoride, early puberty, child, girlUp until the 1990s, no research had ever been conducted to determine the impact of fluoride on the pineal gland — a small gland located between the two hemispheres of the brain that regulates the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals.

It is now known — thanks to the meticulous research of Dr. Jennifer Luke from the University of Surrey in England — that the pineal gland is the primary target of fluoride accumulation within your body.

After finding that the pineal gland is a major target for fluoride accumulation in humans, Dr. Luke conducted animal experiments to determine if the accumulated fluoride could impact the functioning of the gland — particularly the gland’s regulation of melatonin.

Luke found that animals treated with fluoride had lower levels of circulating melatonin, as reflected by reduced levels of melatonin metabolites in the animals’ urine. This reduced level of circulating melatonin was accompanied — as might be expected — by an earlier onset of puberty in the fluoride-treated female animals.

Sources:
Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
U.S. girls are reaching puberty at younger ages than ever before. In the 1990s, breast development — the first sign of puberty in girls — at age 8 was considered an abnormal event that should be investigated by an endocrinologist.

However, by 1999, following a 1997 study that found almost half of African Americans and 15 percent of whites had begun breast development by age 8, the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society suggested changing what is viewed as “normal.”

Instead of acknowledging that girls reaching puberty at increasingly younger ages is a sign that something is wrong, some “experts” would rather just change the definition of what’s considered normal!

In reality, something is wrong, very wrong, when 5-, 6- and 8-year-old girls are starting puberty. Some studies have even found girls as young as 2 who are starting sexual development.

Not only do these children have to deal with an unfairly increased risk of breast cancer down the road, but they lose precious years of their childhood because their bodies have matured faster than their minds.

What is Causing Early Puberty?

There are likely numerous factors contributing to this phenomenon, but one is certainly environmental chemicals. Along with endocrine-disrupting chemicals (BPA, phthalates, PFOA (Teflon)) and PCBs, fluoride has also been suggested.

Fluoride has been added to the U.S. water supply for so long — and has been thoroughly hoisted upon people around the world for its supposed benefit to teeth — that hardly anyone thinks twice about it.

Well, this was not always the case. In 1944, LP Anthony, DDS editor of the Journal of the American Dental Association, said:

“Fluoride is a highly toxic substance … “

Before that, in 1936, an article in the Journal of the American Dental Association stated that fluoride at the 1 ppm (part per million) concentration is as toxic as arsenic and lead.

The Journal of the American Medical Association also stated in their September 18, 1943 issue that fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons that change the permeability of the cell membrane by certain enzymes.

And, an editorial published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, October 1, 1944, stated:

“Drinking water containing as little as 1.2 ppm fluoride will cause developmental disturbances. We cannot run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances. The potentialities for harm outweigh those for good.”

Others, too, have tried to spread the word about the dangers of fluoride, including Christopher Bryson, the author of The Fluoride Deception, who has recently called the widespread promotion of fluoride “scientific fraud on a grand and global scale.”

Yet, this element, or as some may call it, this caustic industrial chemical, is deliberately added to about two-thirds of U.S. public water supplies. For people living in these areas, fluoride is a part of every glass of water, every bath and shower, and every meal cooked using that water.

In the UK, meanwhile, 42 schools have decided it is a good idea to add fluoride to children’s milk in schools. And some of you may also think that the fluoride treatments offered by your dentist are a good idea.

Well, it’s time to shed this myth once and for all.

Fluoride is the Active Toxin in Rat Poisons and Cockroach Powder

Common sense would dictate, then, that this can’t be a good thing to put in your body, and your instincts would be correct.

Once inside your body, fluoride destroys your enzymes by changing their shape. You may remember that your body depends on thousands of enzymes to perform various cell reactions, and without these enzymes, we would all die. They are able to perform their reactions because they have a specific shape that allows them to work with other elements in your body, like a lock and key.

Once fluoride destroys their shape, however, your body does not recognize the enzymes, and in fact will view them as foreign invaders and attempt to attack them.

When your enzymes are damaged, it can lead to collagen breakdown, eczema, tissue damage, skin wrinkling, genetic damage, and immune suppression. It can also cause problems with your:

• Immune system
• Digestive system
• Respiratory system
• Blood circulation

• Kidney function
• Liver function
• Brain function
• Thyroid function

Studies from China have even confirmed that elevated fluoride exposure leads to reduced I.Q. in children. This is understandable when you consider that even at levels as low as 1 ppm, studies have demonstrated direct toxic effects on brain tissue, including:

• Reduction in lipid content
• Impaired anti-oxidant defense systems
• Damage to your hippocampus
• Damage to your purkinje cells
• Increased uptake of aluminum
• Formation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer”s disease)
• Accumulation of fluoride in your pineal gland

This last effect is completely in correlation with the research of Dr. Jennifer Luke, which suggests that fluoride impacts your pineal gland’s regulation of melatonin, and this may contribute to the early onset of puberty.

All of These Risks, and it Doesn’t Even Help Your Teeth!

Clearly risks as serious as those above would not justify preventing a few cavities, yet, fluoride does not even do that.

Figures from the World Health Organization show the same declines in tooth decay that have been experienced in fluoridated countries since the 1960s have occurred equally in non-fluoridated countries.

In another study from 2004, pro-fluoridation dental researchers from the University of Aderlaide in South Australia were unable to demonstrate any difference in the permanent teeth between children who had lived all their lives drinking fluoridated water and those who had drunk rain or bottled water.

What does fluoride do to your teeth, then?

Well, it’s known that it interferes with the development of tooth enamel, a condition called “dental fluorosis.” Those in favor of fluoride like to say that fluorosis is a purely “cosmetic condition,” but rarely do symptoms appear for no reason.

In this case, the white spots that form on your teeth after consuming too much fluoride are likely a warning sign that other tissues are being impacted. Studies have shown, for instance, that children with severe dental fluorosis are more likely to have bone fractures.

The Environmental Working Group even reported a finding from a Harvard PhD thesis that showed boys exposed to fluoridated water when they were between the ages of 6 and 8 had a seven-fold increased risk of developing osteosarcoma, a form of frequently fatal bone cancer.

If you’re wondering how to keep your teeth healthy, remember that fluoride was never the answer in the first place. Instead, look to your diet for naturally healthy teeth. In fact, most people whose diet includes very little sugar and few processed foods have very low rates of tooth decay.

As for how to get toxic fluoride out of your drinking water, regular carbon-based filtration will NOT work. About the only way to remove this toxic chemical from your water is to use a reverse osmosis filter.

Other Hidden Sources of Fluoride

If you have any non-stick pans, the moment you start to heat them they will start to volatilize fluoride as that is the polymer that makes them “non-sticky.” The higher the heat, the more fluoride you will have in your home. So do yourself a favor and get rid of all of your non-stick pots and pans.

Related Articles:

Fluoride Added to Children’s Milk in Schools

The Fluoride Controversy

Is Fluoride Really As Safe As You Are Told?

The Pharmo Industrial Complex creates mythical diseases then creates medications to treat these diseases that actually give the person the “mythical” disease they are trying to cure. They would have you believe depression is a disease that can be treated but in actuallity depression is a result of your environment , growing up, media, movies – only a small fraction of cases are actually an illness like schitzepherinia

Please check out this piece on teenage mental illness on MSNBC.  The link is below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28004005/from/ET/

Your brooding teen: Just moody or mentally ill?
First signs of mental illness often occur during a time of typical teen turmoil
Half of all serious adult psychiatric illnesses start before the age of 14, experts say. But mental illness can mask itself as typical teen turmoil.
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Kids and parenting videos
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Dec. 3: A baby nearly dies after his mother watered down formula to save money; NBC News chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman weighs in on the dangers of diluting infants’ milk powder.
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Moms warned against diluting baby formula
Watered-down formula nearly kills infant
17 kids … and counting!
Doc delivers five babies in four hours
By Roni Caryn Rabin
msnbc.com contributor
updated 7:25 a.m. CT, Tues., Dec. 2, 2008
John Hill was a typical teenager in many ways: He started smoking when he was in high school, which upset his mother, and he spent a lot of time in his room alone, staying up until 5 in the morning playing video games. He went to school but often signed himself out sick after a couple of hours, and his grades plummeted.

When his mother asked what was wrong, he told her to leave him alone.

John’s mother Barbara, of Homedale, Idaho, was worried. But, she said, “He had always been the kid who never got in trouble … I kind of assumed it was just adolescent behavior kicking in.”

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Teenagers are, by definition, difficult. Like the stereotype, they can be moody, reckless and emotionally volatile, crying in the shower, screaming at their parents, slamming their bedroom doors behind them.

It’s not a new phenomenon: the psychologist G. Stanley Hall dubbed the teen years a time of “storm and stress” more than 100 years ago. But experts now know these years are a critical period of development when serious mental illnesses can emerge and progress undetected and untreated, in part because they are perceived as typical teen behavior and may manifest with symptoms different from those in adults.

By the time they are college age, nearly one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, found an extensive study released Monday by Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

While half of all serious adult psychiatric illnesses start before the age of 14, evidence suggests that parents may be the last to know. One study found that parents were unaware of 90 percent of suicide attempts made by teenagers. Another report from a screening program found that the vast majority of parents of kids identified as having psychiatric symptoms thought their child was all right.

“The tendency of parents is to think ‘This is normal,’ ‘They’ll outgrow this,’ ‘Not to worry,’” said Alec Miller, a doctor of psychology and chief of child and adolescent psychology at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. “As a parent you can really lose your compass about what’s normal and typical when you have a range of behaviors coming at you.”

“Parents tend to believe the myth that it’s just a phase,” agreed Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, founder and director of the New York University Child Study Center and author of “More Than  Moody: Recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression.” And, he added, “The worst thing a parent can do is wait.”

Recognizing signs of depression
— Depression often manifests in teens differently than adults. While depressed adults are sad and melancholy, depressed teens are often angry and irritable.
— Depressed adults often lose enjoyment in life; depressed teens may still enjoy activities but not look forward to them.
— Depressed teens will often say they’re bored and give a lot of “I don’t know” answers.
— Irritability and moodiness that keep a teen from functioning normally for more than two weeks should  be regarded as a warning sign, experts say.
— Other red flags include substance abuse, which is often a form of self-medicating, and cutting, or self-injury, which can be a precursor to suicide.

Many parents baffled by changes in their children’s behavior seek out counseling on their own. One third of the queries to TeenTalk, which offers free phone and online counseling for teens are from parents, said officials with the project, run by the Ruth Rales Jewish Family Services of South Florida.

Barbara Hill watched as her son became more and more withdrawn, even from his friends. When she tried to broach the subject he was, by his own account, gruff and dismissive.

“Every time she tried to sit down and talk with me, I’d blow her off, or be real rude,” said John, now 20.

But while he appeared angry, John was actually terrified. He was hearing voices calling his name when no one was around — experiencing what he later learned were the first symptoms of schizophrenia — and was too frightened to confide in anyone, even his mother.

“I thought she was going to kick me out of the house but I finally broke down and told her,” said John, who was surprised at how supportive his mother was. He now takes medication to control his symptoms and has become an outspoken advocate for other young people with mental illness.

While schizophrenia is relatively rare, affecting only about 1 percent of the population and usually developing during the college years, depression is common among younger teens. According to a nationwide report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 8.5 percent of teens aged 12 to 17 — or one in 12 — experience depression in any given year, with almost half saying they were so down that they couldn’t perform their daily activities.

Click for related content
1 in 5 young adults has a personality disorder
Guide: Recognizing the signs of a bipolar child
Study: Autism costs strain family finances
Childhood sleep terrors inherited, study finds
For some patients, life is like a reality show

The report, based on the responses of 67,706 youngsters surveyed between 2004 and 2006, found girls much more susceptible to depression than boys, with 12.7 percent of females and 4.6 percent of males reporting a depressive episode.

One of the SAMHSA report’s surprising findings was that only 30 percent of those who had experienced a depressive episode had gotten treatment. The number is even lower for college age adults struggling with personality disorders, according to the Columbia study. Fewer than 25 percent of them receive treatment, researchers found.

Last year, public health officials reported the first increase in teen suicides following a 13-year decline, an 8 percent increase in suicides among young people aged 10 to 24 in the year 2004, with the biggest percentage jump among girls aged 10 to 14.

Irritable and angry
One one reason parents may not recognize depression in their teenagers is because depression expresses itself so differently in teens, experts say. Changes in sleeping and eating habits are a red flag, as with adults. But while depressed adults are sad and melancholy, depressed teens are angry and irritable. Adults may say they don’t enjoy things anymore; teens may still enjoy activities but not look forward to them. They often say they’re bored, and can be indecisive, giving a lot of “I don’t know” answers.

Sharon Fawcett, a mother of two teenagers in New Brunswick, Canada, had struggled with depression herself for almost a decade, so she was always on the lookout for signs of the illness in her daughters. But, she said, she completely missed the disease in her younger daughter.

“Jenna started telling me she was depressed when she was 14, but to me, she was just laying around and being lazy, and using this as an excuse,” Fawcett said. “I thought: she’s not depressed, she’s angry and she’s moody. I just thought it was the stereotypical adolescent moodiness and negativity.

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“The thing that confused me about my kids — and I’ve heard other parents say this — is how they can be so happy when they’re out with their friends, and as soon as they come home they’re depressed and angry and not speaking with us. I’ve learned since then that kids reserve their anger for the people they know they’re safe with.”

Guide

Diagnosing depression
Depression is a serious illness that comes in many forms with a variety of symptoms. Learn what they are.
msnbc.com

For a while, Fawcett attributed her daughter’s dressing in black, listening to heavy metal music and hiding her face behind long bangs and a hooded sweatshirt to teen fashion and old-fashioned rebelliousness. But by the time Jenna was 16, she had developed acute social anxiety, had difficulty concentrating and was refusing to go to school. She missed 100 days of school one year and failed most of her courses.

The dramatic change in performance for the girl who had been an honor student finally convinced Fawcett her daughter needed help. She consulted the family pediatrician, who referred her to a psychiatrist for a combination of talk therapy and medications, which have been very effective.

“The school failure was the most obvious identifying symptom,” Fawcett said.

A clear red flag
Experts agree that irritability and moodiness that keep a teenager from functioning normally for more than two weeks should be clear red flags. Ditto for withdrawal from activities and social isolation from friends. Other warning signs parents should look for are substance abuse, which is often a form of self-medication, and cutting, or self-injury, which can be a precursor to suicide.

Click for related content
1 in 5 young adults has a personality disorder
Guide: Recognizing the signs of a bipolar child
Study: Autism costs strain family finances
Childhood sleep terrors inherited, study finds
For some patients, life is like a reality show

Irritable and angry
One one reason parents may not recognize depression in their teenagers is because depression expresses itself so differently in teens, experts say. Changes in sleeping and eating habits are a red flag, as with adults. But while depressed adults are sad and melancholy, depressed teens are angry and irritable. Adults may say they don’t enjoy things anymore; teens may still enjoy activities but not look forward to them. They often say they’re bored, and can be indecisive, giving a lot of “I don’t know” answers.

Sharon Fawcett, a mother of two teenagers in New Brunswick, Canada, had struggled with depression herself for almost a decade, so she was always on the lookout for signs of the illness in her daughters. But, she said, she completely missed the disease in her younger daughter.

“Jenna started telling me she was depressed when she was 14, but to me, she was just laying around and being lazy, and using this as an excuse,” Fawcett said. “I thought: she’s not depressed, she’s angry and she’s moody. I just thought it was the stereotypical adolescent moodiness and negativity.

“The thing that confused me about my kids — and I’ve heard other parents say this — is how they can be so happy when they’re out with their friends, and as soon as they come home they’re depressed and angry and not speaking with us. I’ve learned since then that kids reserve their anger for the people they know they’re safe with.”

Guide

Diagnosing depression
Depression is a serious illness that comes in many forms with a variety of symptoms. Learn what they are.
msnbc.com

For a while, Fawcett attributed her daughter’s dressing in black, listening to heavy metal music and hiding her face behind long bangs and a hooded sweatshirt to teen fashion and old-fashioned rebelliousness. But by the time Jenna was 16, she had developed acute social anxiety, had difficulty concentrating and was refusing to go to school. She missed 100 days of school one year and failed most of her courses.

The dramatic change in performance for the girl who had been an honor student finally convinced Fawcett her daughter needed help. She consulted the family pediatrician, who referred her to a psychiatrist for a combination of talk therapy and medications, which have been very effective.

“The school failure was the most obvious identifying symptom,” Fawcett said.

A clear red flag
Experts agree that irritability and moodiness that keep a teenager from functioning normally for more than two weeks should be clear red flags. Ditto for withdrawal from activities and social isolation from friends. Other warning signs parents should look for are substance abuse, which is often a form of self-medication, and cutting, or self-injury, which can be a precursor to suicide.

Click for related content
1 in 5 young adults has a personality disorder
Guide: Recognizing the signs of a bipolar child
Study: Autism costs strain family finances
Childhood sleep terrors inherited, study finds
For some patients, life is like a reality show

“Parents will often let this go at least two weeks or more because they’re convinced it’s just a phase, even though if their child had a rash, they wouldn’t ignore it,” said Koplewicz.

The good news, he said, is that teenagers respond to targeted treatment, such as psychotherapy either with or without medication.

“The nice part is that we see dramatic turnarounds with kids, often in four to eight weeks. We believe wholeheartedly that we can change the trajectory for these kids if we nip it early.”

Roni Caryn Rabin is a health writer who lives in New York City. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday and Real Simple magazine, among other publications, and is author of the book, “Six Parts Love: A Family’s Battle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” She teaches journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

© 2008 msnbc.com

“Parents will often let this go at least two weeks or more because they’re convinced it’s just a phase, even though if their child had a rash, they wouldn’t ignore it,” said Koplewicz.

The good news, he said, is that teenagers respond to targeted treatment, such as psychotherapy either with or without medication.

“The nice part is that we see dramatic turnarounds with kids, often in four to eight weeks. We believe wholeheartedly that we can change the trajectory for these kids if we nip it early.”

Roni Caryn Rabin is a health writer who lives in New York City. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday and Real Simple magazine, among other publications, and is author of the book, “Six Parts Love: A Family’s Battle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” She teaches journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.