Osteoprosis and SuperBugs

A recent article in the New York Times (Fearing Drug’s Rare Side Effects, Millions Take Their Chances With Osteoporosis, Gina Kolata, June 2, 2016) bemoans the fact that women are not using the osteo drugs available because of  the published accounts of “rare” fractures and other side effects. Related articles are attached to the story (Mar.24,2010, Jan,18 2012, June12,2012, Oct.5,2015) all point to these “rare” incidents.
How rare can they be?  Stories dating 6 years back warn of the problems. The doctors  and researchers in the story are puzzled and say there is not enough evidence to blame the drugs.
It also is painfully apparent to me that four important factors are left out of the story.

1. Are we getting too much calcium in our diet, or are women taking calcium carbonate as their supplement?
2. Are the women using acid blocking medications such as Prilosec or Omeprazole?
3. Are the women using thyroid medications?
4. Is anyone using MAGNESIUM?

Every time I see these reports, the emphasis is on calcium or calcium and vitamin D. If the reporters and researchers actually paid attention to the research that is available to anyone who tries to find it, two very big facts jump out at you. People are not taking anywhere near enough vitamin D and they sure are not even considering the importance of magnesium.  Magnesium helps with the absorption of calcium and  it activates the vitamin D.
It seems the researchers keep repeating the same studies and  expect to see different results. That is the classic definition of insanity, but there you go...

Another story, a column actually, caught my attention. Ezekiel Emanuel, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, vice provost for global initiatives and chair of the Dept. of Medical Ethics and Health Policy  at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote an Op-ed piece in June ( How to step on a superbug, Washington Post) His first paragraph cited a strain of e. Coli  that is resistant to antibiotics signals a superbug is inevitable.
     Excuse me, professor, but it sounds to me like the superbug is already here.
In a nutshell,  Emanuel is calling their ffor more work on developing new antibiotics and stop the over prescribing of the ones we have. Part of the column seemed to blame the public for demanding something to help with an illness,many times viral in nature and  not antibiotic  responsive.  Simply stated, overuse breeds  resistance. One of the newest antibiotics that may be available is extremely ($4,500.00) expensive. It is to be used to fight MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).  
With all due respect,  there are some other issues to look at. No one seems to realize that our food chain, especially chickens and beef are routinely given doses of antibiotics in their feed to help protect from infection from the filthy pens and stockyards and to fatten up the animals for market. We are ingesting these antibiotics and developing  bacteria that are resistant.  There are other methods to fight some of these bacteria, such as essential oils; BUT, and it is a big BUT, we have to change our way of thinking.
You cannot use the same oils at the same strength  all the time  and expect not to have the bugs develop a resistance. One of the reasons these bugs have become so strong, despite the ubiquitous hand sanitizer  dispensers  in hospitals, supermarkets etc, is it is the same strength over and over again.  My wife Kathy, a nurse and Certified Clinical Aromatherapist/ Instructor has lectured for years on this very subject.

The oils have been shown to be effective in fighting MRSA, but the formula has to change frequently to fight bacterial resistance. The American public seems to just want a quick fix, and the pharmaceutical industry  wants something that can be reproduced at a low cost.

Well, you got it, now what do we do?

Weekly Question - What Can You Do For Opioid Withdrawal?

The opioid crisis in the northeast has reached  epidemic proportions.  Recent  actions taken by Connecticut and Massachusetts to ban or strictly curtail prescriptions for opioids is a step in the right direction to control the overuse of these medications, but many people who need pain relief are  finding their options very limited. People  who were prescribed these medications are now finding themselves  cut off from their medicines and are suffering pain and withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal without some form of support is not a viable option

. We have an entire protocol to aid in the detoxification process and helping with the withdrawal symptoms (It is sad that a protocol is needed but at least we have one). Tyrosine, magnesium, B-complex , and  herbal supplements have been used with success.    Please contact us for further information

Sensationalist Headlines and the Importance of Reading Comprehension

The sensational headline stating “Supplements Send 23,000 to Hospitals” is not only misleading but is out and out untrue. 

If anyone troubled themselves to actually read the story they would have found several glaring discrepancies. There is no factual evidence to justify the 23 thousand ER  cases. It is a statistical estimate. Look at the figures! Over a nine year period, (9 years!) there were 3667 cases reported in, I am guessing , 63 large ,metropolitan hospitals. The researchers then ESTIMATED  a national number.   Hospitals are supposed to report adverse events to the CDC. Why did they have to go looking specifically? What were they looking for? What were the parameters of their study?

How can anyone lump vitamins, herbal supplements such as echinacea or hawthorn berry with the junk products sold on the internet and MLM’s? I do agree that the categories they  were looking for are the usual suspects (sexual enhancement, weight loss, increased energy,and body building). We have warned  for years to stay away from this crap, because it usually contained caffeine, ephedrine and other legal stimulants. Gee, do you think  people buying this stuff might have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular problems? 

Did you see in the article the reasons for going to the ER was irregular heartbeat and chest pain? No one is going to the ER because their multivitamin caused  a problem. Just as a final note, I noticed they did not include the number of people who suffer severe complications and many deaths each year from over the counter products and prescriptions. Given a choice  I will take my echinacea and my vitamin supplement instead, with no fear of hospitalization.

Homeopathy under assault!

The FDA has proposed revisiting its policies on homeopathy, after problems with products like ZICAM and AIRBORN, which in my opinion are not really homeopathics in the truest sense. Some in the industry say they support the government’s efforts in order to get rid of some bad apples, but they hope this does not become a crusade against homeopathy as a whole. After reading some blogs and websites, it appears the anti homeopathy and anti alternative forces are coming out of the woodwork on a witch hunt.

Most of the posts i read had  referred to the lack of scientific evidence or proper studies.

The most irritating statements came from people who stated that homeopathy goes against known chemistry ,science, and physics, or they made fun of the “water memory” idea.

Fortunately, I attended a workshop many years ago, conducted by James Oschman PhD, a world authority on energy and complementary medicine. He wrote a book on the scientific basis of energy medicine, and covered homeopathy in chapter 10.  

In just a few paragraphs  Oschman clearly explained in scientific terms what the “water memory “ is. Here is just an example:

“In homeopathy, molecular signatures are transferred from a biologically active molecule to the water in which it is dissolved. This happens when the homeopath “successes” the sample.  Succussion is a method of vibrating or sending a shockwave through the solution. Dissolved molecules are made to vibrate intensely and coherently and they therefore emit their electromagnetic signatures( emission spectrum)

One plausible mechanism for water memory storage, published by Dr. C.W. SmIth(1985) is that hydrogen bonds hold water together in a helical structure  that acts like a coil. The magnetic components of fields emitted by the vibrating molecules induce current flows through the water helix. These currents reverberate within the water structure, much like the ringing of a bell.  Even when the sample has been diluted to the point that the original molecule is gone,  the signals stored in the water continue to vibrate for a long time.”

The ability of atomic systems to recall coherent electromagnetic pulses is known to physicists (Brewer and Hahn 1984)”

Okay, so maybe it is not simple, but it is very understandable. Our bodies are 70% water. there are systems in our bodies we still do not fully understand. We still cannot explain what gives us life, for heaven’s sake!

So when  detractors say there is no scientific basis for homeopathy, it just means they have not looked far enough, or it does not fit their measuring process. Homeopathy may not fit neatly into Newtonian physics, but it sure as hell fits with quantum physics.

Check out ENERGY MEDICINE, The Scientific Basis, James Oschman PhD, Harcourt Publishers Ltd, 2000. 

One last note:  Even if homeopathy is placebo, so is every medicine. If homeopathy is a placebo, and we are witless dupes, please explain to me how a skittish horse can be given  Ignatia, and minutes later it will be docile. How did you get the horse to understand it would work? I know, the detractors will say this is anecdotal.  My feeling is there is not enough money to be made by the big Pharma to really care about working with homeopathy. Just my opinion.

 I had a great phone call today, that just reinforces the knowledge that the path we are on is the right one.
One of our customers has been taking care of a friend who is in kidney and liver failure, and is presently on dialysis. He has been given 2-3 months to live.  "Bill" contacted me and  asked what could be done to help his friend. I had to be very careful about making any suggestions because of the dialysis, but told him to talk to his doctor and see if milk thistle could be added to his regimen. "Bill told the doctor of his experience with milk thistle and had his doctor talk to the new doctor.  The doctor approved using a guaranteed potency milk thistle of 350 mg. This morning I was told  that the patient not only was alert, but took his own medicine and then asked for wipes to clean up. The doctor is amazed that the patient is as alert and active as he is. This after only five days on the milk thistle. Bill and his wife were crying as they told me the story. Truly, there are miracles to witness using these gifts from the Creator. I am not saying the patient is out of the woods, but the milk thistle is helping and, who knows? We will keep watching his progress.

Quality Counts

Just had a lady in today, who was trying to detox her liver from some very powerful meds. She said she was using a drug store brand of milk thistle, and was still not getting better after almost a year. This is just another example of knowing the good brands from the rest. We have had so many people make unbelievable improvements  and recoveries when using a quality product. If you are taking something and haven't seen improvement in 2-3 months, you probably have the wrong stuff. Please, stay away from discount, drug store and other house brands of herbs. The quality is not there.

How much crap are you full of?

I just heard a commercial taking about " you could be carrying up to 22 pounds of waste in your colon." Fear not, for they have the answer to a healthy colon and can help you rid yourself of all that unwanted waste and weight,..... for a fee  of course... I have seen ads in the paper and in magazines showing the same diseased colon over  and over. You know, the same one that was taken from John Wayne. Didn't you know he died with that same 22 pounds of stuff in him.  Really? Where do people get this from?  Have you ever had a colonoscopy? Did you weigh 22 pounds less after the clean out? I didn't think so. Are we that niave? Have we become children in our innocence and believe EVERTHING we read on the internet?