http://www.mercola.com/2001/aug/11/index.htm
August 11, 2001 - Issue 245
Eating Wheat
Can Double Risk of Death - Celiac disease, a form of wheat allergy, affects
at least one in 30 people and it can double your risk of death if you eat
wheat.
Hand Washing Decreases Colds - The
importance of washing your hands every day is a simple task that can reduce
respiratory illnesses by a substantial amount.
Japanese Women
Live Longest - The Japanese have had the greatest life expectancy on Earth
for some years now, but they could be even higher.
Following
a Healthy Eating Plan Improves Your Self Esteem - Given appropriate
support, individuals can successfully alter their eating patterns in multiple
ways without a negative impact on quality of life.
Older
Americans Spending More On Medication - Seniors are spending a large amount
of money each year on prescription medicines, and this amount is steadily
rising.
What You Can Do to
Permanently Relieve Earwax Problems - All people build up ear wax over
time, but for some the buildup is problematic, as it can cause deafness or
pain.
Heavy
Rainfall Linked to Infection Risk - During times of heavy precipitation,
bacteria may find its way into the local water supply, contaminating the water
we drink.
US
Doctors Sue Government Over Privacy Regulations - The US government has
proposed a new set of regulations regarding use of patient records. A group of
doctors, The Association of American
Physicians and Surgeons, has issued a lawsuit, stating the regulations are
way out of line.
How To Improve Your Health
With Practical Recipes - Following the food choice program
is a challenge for most of us. You can now use our updated 257 page electronic
cookbook to help you design your personal program. It is only $15 with a full
money back RISK FREE guarantee. Plus there is no shipping fee since the
electronic cookbook is downloaded to your computer.
Neurostructural Therapy (NST) - I
would encourage any health care practitioner to consider a trip to Chicago this
fall to learn the most effective form of manual healing I know of. It is an
essential part of the care I provide for most of our patients.
Vaccine Seminars
- Opportunities to attend live lectures around the country on this vitally
important issue of our times. Have your specific questions personally answered
with practical alternatives.
SkaSys Seminar - Dr.
Hans Lechner is a German dentist who worked for the last 15 years with EAV
(electroacupuncture). He has developed the next generation EAV equipment that
combines scalar wave broadcasting and computer equipment along with arm length
testing. There are currently ten units in the US and I have owned one since
January. He is giving a lecture in Chicago at the end of August. Dr. Lee
Cowden, a cardiologist who wrote the book Alternative
Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer will also be attending.
The Optimal Wellness
Center's Summer Public Classes - James Jordan, J.D., C.N.C. and Monica
Rochman, R.N. will be presenting simple, practical, essential information and
guidelines on diet, exercise, detoxification, and goal setting to assist you in
your quest for better health.
Records of all of the back issues of the
Newsletters can be viewed by clicking http://www.mercola.com/2001/index.htm
©Copyright Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2001. All
Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, as long as copyright,
contact, and creation information is given, only if used only in a
not-for-profit format. If possible, I would also appreciate an endorsement and
encouragement to subscribe to the newsletter. If any other use is desired,
written permission is required.
Celiac disease, a form of wheat allergy, doubles your risk of death. The
risks are particularly severe if you are diagnosed late in the disease or do
not adhere to a strict diet free of gluten, a protein found in wheat and other
grains.
Celiac disease, also known
as celiac sprue or 'gluten intolerance' is a genetic disorder that causes bowel
disorders, diarrhea or weight loss because of an insensitivity to gluten. It
affects approximately one in 30 people. Patients often develop cancers of the
intestines, which is thought to lead to a higher death rate.
Among 1,072 patients
diagnosed with celiac disease in Italy from 1962 to 1994, researchers found 53
deaths, compared with an expected 26 deaths in the general population. The leading cause of
death was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Relatives of patients with
celiac disease did not have a higher than average risk of death, nor did
patients who lived three years following diagnosis.
According to the authors,
"Prompt and strict dietary treatment decreases mortality in celiac
patients."
The
Lancet, August 4, 2001; 358: 356-361
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Leave it to the Italians
to find yet another complication of wheat ingestion - an increased risk of
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Wheat has already been
associated with:
Most all of us do not
benefit from eating wheat - yes even whole wheat. I know this is hard to hear
for many of you.
But just remember, I was
once fooled enough so that when I was in medical school nearly 25 years ago my
nickname was "Dr. Fiber", as I was always preaching the benefits of
whole grains.
Little did I know that
wheat, and nearly all other grains, rapidly convert to sugar and rapidly
accelerate aging and chronic illness in most, although certainly not all of us.
Unless you are seriously
underweight, most of us would best be served by limiting or avoiding wheat
altogether. I was well over 40 years old before I realized this kernel of truth
and I probably chopped a good 20 years off the end of the limit of my life span
by not applying it earlier.
Hopefully, many of you
will realize this truth and apply this challenging discipline so you will reap
the fruits of a good and long healthy life for you and your family.
Related Articles:
Celiac Disease:
Fertility and Pregnancy
The Prevalence
of Celiac Disease in At-Risk Groups of Children in the United States
Wheat, Gluten and
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Celiac Disease
and Indigestion
Prevalence
Of Celiac Disease Increased In Cardiomyopathy
Wheat
Can Cause Poor Head Growth and Developmental Delay in Infants
Navy recruits who were
ordered to wash their hands at least five times a day saw a decrease in respiratory
illnesses of 45% from the year before, according to a study conducted by the
Naval Health Research Center (NHRC).
The crowding and close
contact military personnel experience, coupled with the high intensity and
stress associated with their training, likely contribute to their high rate of respiratory infections.
Respiratory illness is a
common cause of lost time from work in the US and "the most common cause
of lost time from duty among young adults in the military," the report
indicates.
Handwashing
has long been recognized as a simple way to cut the risk of spreading certain
infections such as the common cold.
In the study, Operation
Stop Cough was implemented at the Great Lakes Recruit Training Command in
Illinois, beginning in September 1996. During the study, about 40,000 recruits
were instructed by their commanding officer to wash their hands five times each
day. Soap dispensers were installed and recruits were lectured monthly on the
importance of handwashing.
After 1998, the researchers
reviewed respiratory illness rates based on trips to the base's infirmary. Data
from 1997 and 1998 was compared with rates recorded in the year before
Operation Stop Cough went into action. The investigators found the rates of
respiratory illness in 1997 and 1998 were 45% lower than that of 1996.
Despite the program's
success, the authors point out that handwashing proved to be a difficult chore
for the recruits--almost half reported that they did not have time to wash five
times a day due to their busy training schedules.
American
Journal of Preventive Medicine August 2001;21
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
An interesting study
which highlights the importance of handwashing.
However, there are
several cautions one needs to exercise to reap the full benefits of this
research.
The first is to
understand that if you have eczema or atopic
dermatitis, you will need to be particularly cautious about washing your hands
this frequently as it will actually increase your risk of infections due to a
breakdown of the skin protective barrier.
A good key is to monitor
your hand smoothness. If at any time they become dry and cracked you should
immediately cut back on your hand's exposure to soaps and water.
It is also very
important to direct special attention to the type of soap that you are using.
Almost half of all soaps
on sale in the US contain antibacterial compounds, such as triclosan, which
could be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and should
be completely avoided.
Antibacterial soaps are
completely unnecessary and cause far more harm than good. It would be wise to
identify a chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Even better
would be to avoid purchasing products from manufacturers who make
anti-bacterial products and switch to a more natural one that you can likely
find in the local health food store.
I have posted many
previous studies documenting the toxicity of triclosan, the active ingredient
in most antibacterial soaps. Although it kills bacteria, it also has been shown
to kill human cells (Eur
J Oral Sci 1998 Apr;106:628-36).
If have any doubts that
this is a chemical you and your family should avoid, please review the links
below.
Related Articles:
Infectious
Disease Expert Warns of Dangers of Anti-Bacterial Soaps and Antibiotics
Antibacterial
Soaps Popularity May be Spreading Resistant Bacteria
Simple Hand Washing
Cuts Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Cryptosporidium
Caused Foodborne Disease
Japanese men and women are
living longer than ever, with women the longest-lived in the world for the 16th
straight year and able to expect to live to nearly 85.
Japanese have for several
years been the longest-living people on earth, but other countries, including
Iceland, are catching up.
Men can expect to live
77.64 years in 2000 while life expectancy for women last year was 84.62 years.
The previous records for
life expectancy were 77.19 years for men in 1997 and 84.01 for women in 1998.
Japanese
Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry July 31, 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Last month I
attended Robert Crayhon's Boulderfest seminar in which I was also invited to
speak. I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Ron Rosedale who first mentored
me in the importance of a low grain approach about six years ago.
His main focus now
is aging and it is his hypothesis that grains and sugars are the major factors
that accelerate the rate of aging. He believes that most nutritional
biochemical aspects of disease are related to this aspect of aging.
I believe he is
correct.
The key to slowing
down the aging process and all physical aspects of degenerative disease is to
eliminate the grains, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, and obviously all
sugars such as bakery products.
I have a renewed
enthusiasm to apply this information personally to compensate for the many
years of my high fiber days during medical school when I would eat a daily bowl
of oatmeal for breakfast and plenty of pasta to help me run my fifty miles per
week.
I probably knocked
off about twenty years of my lifespan with these tricks, but with God's grace
and application of rigidly avoiding the grains and sweets, I might surpass the
Japanese women's average of 85.
Related Articles:
Four Factors
Predict Healthy Aging All Related to Carbs
Too Little Sleep
May Accelerate Aging
Exercise May
Slow Some Effects of Aging
Vitamins C
and E and the Aging Brain
A diet rich in vegetables
and fruits is not only good for the waistline but may improve a person's
quality of life.
According to the report,
older adults who followed a healthy eating plan for four years were more confident that their food choices would
improve their health and more satisfied with life in general, compared with
their peers who followed their regular diets.
Dietary strategies shown to
lower a person's risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and
several other leading causes of death in the US can also have a positive impact
on a person's happiness.
The positive psychological
changes of following a healthy eating plan were that these people thought they
were doing something healthy for themselves and that making dietary changes would
in the long run improve their health.
Each year, those who had
adopted a healthy diet reported more confidence in their ability to care for
their health and a greater awareness of health and nutrition messages. They
were also more likely than those who did not change their diet to believe that
food could improve their health.
This study provides
evidence that, given appropriate support individuals can successfully alter
their eating patterns in multiple ways without a negative impact on quality of
life.
Annals
of Behavioral Medicine August 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
An interesting
confirmation that following the healthy
eating plan can not only help you regain your physical health but is also a
major factor in the optimization of your emotional health.
I am currently in
the process of writing a book on the bioenergetic healing of depression that is
due to be out in April 2002. It is clear that the sugars and grains are one of
the major contributing biochemical factors that contribute to depression.
Although this study
did use a low fat diet as part of its regimen I do believe it demonstrates a
powerful synergy that occurs when one follows a healthy eating plan. Anyone
reading this newsletter for any length of time is aware of my position on the low fat
myth.
Older Americans shelled out
an average of $1,378 per person on prescription medications last year, an
expense that is rising 18.5% annually.
At that rate, seniors will
need plenty of advice on managing medication use under a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
The study conducted for
RxHealthValue by Brandeis University examined drug usage and costs using
prescription claims data provided by AdvancePCS, one of the nation's largest
pharmacy benefits managers. The data represent drugs dispensed to more than 1
million people continually enrolled in an insurance program over a 3-year
period.
More than 12% of Americans
over age 65 are consuming eight or more different drugs, up from 8% just 3 years ago.
Seniors are
also spending significantly more per person than younger Americans.
Per capita drug
expenditures for people under 65 are increasing at an annual rate of
15.6%--almost three percentage points lower than the rate of increase for the
over-65 crowd.
Congressional
Briefing by RxHealthValue Coalition July 30, 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
This is an excellent
example of what the paradigm in this country has focused on and, for the most
part, been able to implement successfully.
Advances in health care
are, in fact, keeping us alive far longer, but this is primarily done by
ignoring the true causes of disease and substituting expensive band-aids that
keep us unnecessarily dependent on the drug companies.
The average elderly
American is spending more than $100 per month on drugs. This is just plain
absurd.
Something is dreadfully
wrong here and that is really my passion - to help repair the system - by
facilitating a process whereby information can be transferred to people to
provide them with practical inexpensive options.
The $100 a month that
people are now spending in drugs does NOT need to be transferred over to
supplements. Although supplements are sometimes helpful, they are also only
band-aids.
The key is to consume
healthy foods and follow the healthy
eating plan so your body can start the healing process and allow you to
slowly and carefully, with professional supervision, successfully wean off
these expensive medications.
Related Articles:
The
Pharmaceutical Industry -- To Whom Is It Accountable?
New Study
Shows Drugs Cheaper For Pets Than People
US Health System
Most Expensive In World
Earwax is a common problem
among patients - as many as 40 in every 1,000 patients (4%) suffer this way.
Traditional advice offered by doctors to soften compacted earwax - a few nights
pouring olive oil into the ear - may be a wasted effort.
Although all normal ears
produce some wax, in most cases it is naturally cleared over time.
But in some cases it can build up, blocking the narrow ear canal and
causing temporary deafness or even pain.
The solution in many cases
is to have the wax flushed out with water fired through a syringe, but the wax
may be so hardened that syringing will not move it.
At this point most doctors
tell the patient to go away and pour olive oil into the affected ear for a few
nights, to help soften the wax.
However, a team of doctors
from the Netherlands suspected that the oil might not be doing a good job.
Instead, they simply
injected water into the ear, plugged it in with cotton wool and instructed the
patient to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes.
Oil No
Better
Those undergoing the oil
treatment fared no better on their return than the group given water.
Doctors in some cases found
it easier to help patients who had used water instead of oil.
The researchers said that
"using water as a dispersant for persistent earwax is quick and more convenient for
the patient".
Ear, nose and throat
experts warn against using objects to prod around and dislodge the wax.
Even using soft cotton-buds
could leave the patient with a perforated eardrum.
British
Journal of General Practice August 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Did you ever wonder
why some people are always getting a buildup of wax in their ears? If you ask
most any ear, nose, and throat specialist they will be mostly clueless as to
the cause of this problem.
However the
solution is quite simple. The wax builds up usually as a result of an essential
fatty acid deficiency. Fortunately there is a simple and easy solution.
All one generally
needs to do is consume additional omega 3 fats. My favorite is Carlson's lemon
flavored cod liver oil, as one also receives vitamin A and D with this. One
could receive the omega 3s from fish, but most fish are contaminated with
mercury so this may be counterproductive.
Although cod liver
oil obviously comes from fish, it is possible to obtain cod and process it in a
way that removes most all of the mercury. I have been using Carlson's lemon
flavored cod liver oil for the last year both personally and professionally.
I use hair analysis for most of my patients and this is a very
sensitive measure of recent mercury exposure, particularly from fish. I have
not seen the mercury levels rise on anyone, including myself, who has taken
this product.
The hair analysis mercury level is so sensitive that I can usually tell
how many servings of fish a month the person is eating based on looking at
their level.
However, if one
does have a low grain and sugar intake and is not seriously overweight or
struggling with other signs of insulin excess such as high blood pressure,
diabetes, or high cholesterol, then one can consider the use of plant-based
omega 3s such as flax seed.
Flax is best taken
as a seed that is freshly ground in a coffee grinder. Not only will one receive
the beneficial fat, but there are some useful fibers, called lignans, which
have actually been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
However, the
usefulness of this article is related to what to do if one did not have the
prevention solution and is stuck with an ear wax buildup. It does appear from
this study that water is as useful as oil in softening the wax if the water is
kept in for awhile.
I normally find
that high-pressure irrigation of the canals with a syringe is necessary to
remove the wax. After the wax is clear the omega 3 fats normally prevent a
recurrence.
If the wax does
return that is a clue that the person does indeed have a serious omega 3
deficiency.
In a study of waterborne
disease outbreaks in the US, researchers found that more than two thirds of
outbreaks between 1948 and 1994 were preceded by heavy rainfall--which can
overload municipal water systems and help contaminants spread to the drinking water supply.
More than half of these outbreaks occurred shortly
after an onslaught of extreme precipitation.
The investigators note that
it is possible for increases in rainfall and runoff to usher infectious agents from animal feces into the water
supply.
American
Journal of Public Health August 2001;91:1194-1199, 1200-1208
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Here is a simple
practical solution for keeping yourself healthy. When the area you are living
in has an exceptionally high level of rainfall it would be wise to consider
boiling your water to kill any bacteria that make their way into the water.
A better alternative
would be to use a high quality filter, preferably reverse osmosis, which would
also eliminate the problem. Bottled spring water, not distilled
water, is another option.
If you happen to be
traveling in a foreign country, it is always wise to bring along a high quality
probiotic (good bacteria) and take it a few times a day to prevent any of these
infections.
If you do develop an
infection overseas or even from eating at your local restaurant, usually taking
the probiotic every 30-60 minutes resolves the problem in a few hours.
Even though probiotics
should ideally be refrigerated they can be kept at room temperature or greater
for a few weeks with minimal loss of potency so one need not worry about
keeping them refrigerated while on vacation. However, if one has access to a
refrigerator one should still use it.
Related Articles:
Beneficial
Bacteria Helps Heal Intestines
Beneficial
Bacteria Wonderful For Infant Diarrhea
A national physician group
announced July 31 that it is suing the Bush administration's top health
official to halt new medical privacy regulations that it says are
unconstitutional.
The Association of American Physicians and
Surgeons (AAPS), which represents physicians in all types of practices and
specialties, contends that the rules would violate patient confidentiality and place burdensome new
requirements on physicians.
In a complaint to be filed
in US District Court in Houston, AAPS alleges that the rules violate the Fourth
Amendment by requiring physicians to allow government access to personal records without a warrant. They also
illegally authorize the government to create a centralized medical records
database containing personal information, the physicians group said.
"Forcing patients to
surrender information to the federal government constitutes an illegal search
and seizure by the federal government," said Kathryn Serkes, public
affairs counsel to the AAPS. Doctors
can be fined for withholding those records and the federal government can order
physicians to refuse treatment to patients who won't consent to government
disclosure, she added.
AAPS also contends that the rules place
on physicians an overwhelming burden for recordkeeping, particularly for
doctors in small offices.
"It would be the regulation that broke
the physician's back...because
they can't afford to do everything they need to do to be in compliance,"
Serkes said.
Reuters Health, August 1, 2001
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
I'm not a member of many
professional organizations, but I have been an AAPS member for about 7 years. They are
one of the most awesomely effective organizations to halt the intrusion of the
federal government into our lives.
If you are a physician,
I would strongly encourage you to consider joining this organization and support
their effort to maintain your freedom.
Related Articles:
President to
Implement Patient Privacy Rules
To unsubscribe send a blank email to Healthnews-unsubscribe@topica.com
==^================================================================
EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1dfgB.b2sRUg
Or send an email To: Healthnews-unsubscribe@topica.com
This email was sent to:
T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.