Problems with New Sweetener

UPDATE: August 2010
Here's a toxic sweetener you most likely had never heard of, but I would caution you to make sure you do not ingest it:

^{HealthEdge's NaturallySweet} 

This is manufactured by these folks.

Truvia, Purevia, Zevia, Zerose, Zsweet are marketing names for this artificially blended  erythritol and rebiana mix.  Rebiana is a chemically modified form of  stevia, it is NOT pure stevia.

UPDATE 4, Consumer complaints regarding Truvia

UPDATE 3, 23 December 08: A reader comments on Erythritol as not causing her any problems as noted in our researcher's report. Just like all substances, the ingestion of a substance needs to be in the right form, the right amount, et al, and the effect and outcomes are individual. Please realize that our researcher is a former FDA investigator who has an indepth background in the sciences necessary to make such statements. Please note that the artificial sweeteners referred to, Truvia (Cargill) and PureVia(Whole Earth Sweeteners) are manufactured by these agribusness corporations with an extract of stevia (rebiana)and erythritol and are NOT whole leaf stevia or pure(whole leaf)stevia extract.

UPDATE 2, 22 December 08: Please note that contrary to other reports you may be reading, the FDA DID NOT APPROVE STEVIA. The FDA, in cahoots with Cargill and Coke, approved a synthesized product - as reported originally in this article - manufactured with rebiana (an extract from Stevia) and erythritol (a sugar alcohol).

As Dr. Evangelista states (quoted below): "DO NOT CONFUSE REBIANA (TRUVIA) WITH STEVIA"

UPDATE 1, 20 December 08: Zerose is the Cargill synthesized artificial sweetener made from stevia and erythritol. Zsweet is a similar product in UK and EU. There are numerous scientific studies presenting that this, and related products such as Truvia, may lead to calcium, potassium and phosphate loss with calcification (and lesions) in the kidneys (just like Splenda) and bowel alterations. Please read more.

As to Zevia soda, it seems to me to be quite irresponsible on the part of the company CEO (an attorney)to make the following quote, "Why not supplement a steady breast milk diet with some refreshing ZEVIA?" This quote is associated with a photo of an infant being fed soda by the mother on the company blog. I would suggest the mother is irresponsible as well. While the company web site does not state that Zerose is the sweetener used in their products it does mention that eryrithritol is an ingredient.

I am sure this fellow was not in my 'Social Responsibility of Business' class in grad school.

We suggest Just Like Sugar, unaltered Stevia (order the extract via the Starwest link on this page) and Agave.

We do not endorse the use aspartame or sucralose or any forms of these chemicals, first developed as inseticides, or any products containing them, as they are known toxins to human health, nor do we endorse the use of acesulfame K.
----------------------------------------
12-19-08
The news this morning on NPR seems to be focused on helping you be in the spin on 'rebiana'(Truvia) and how it is "just stevia".

Coke (using Truvia) and Pepsi (using PureVia) are marketing this new artificial sweetener in their beverages but apparently aren't open to presenting both sides of the story.

Even the one TV ad I saw recently for "Truvia" would lead you to believe that this is a safe and natural additive.

Zevia(a soda), because it contains erythritol, may also have similar problems.

The problem is that is may come from natural sources but it is an extracted and modified chemical when it comes out the other end.

DO NOT CONFUSE REBIANA (TRUVIA) WITH STEVIA
Do not confuse this with pure stevia, it is a combination of chemicals with a dab of the stevia plant. Stevia itself is a sweetener and yet they are using Erythritol which is a sugar alcohol known to cause such things as bloating, diarrhea and cramps. That tells you they are not using much stevia. Nor are they removing the poisonous aspartame from Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. They are simply trying to satisfy a part of the population that knows how deadly aspartame is and wants to use something else.

Notice this sentence: "Stevia was not approved as a food additive by U.S. regulators, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued letters to the companies on Wednesday saying it had no objections to their sweeteners, which are derived from the plant." The FDA has made themselves clear. Industry can do anything they please but they have no intention of approving something safe for the general public. They don't want to displease the aspartame industry who is powerful and takes care of those who defend their poison. Make sure you understand this is a combination of sweeteners and chemicals and not real stevia. The pop companies feel "a dab will do you, so just buy our product regardless of how its made". The public again will be the guinea pigs and lab rats. Also, see the admission that Pepsi's Purevia is being developed with Merisant, an aspartame manufacturer. Nobody should use these products until they are analyzed. Industry is constantly adding small amounts of aspartame because its addictive. If they do this to these products aspartame victims will react because aspartame is so poisonous it causes chemical hypersensitization.

Lab Tests Point to Problems with New Sweetener
Consumer group says product can increase cancer risk
September 2, 2008

A consumer group says a new commercial sweetner, said to be 200 times sweeter than sugar, may cause health problems and needs more study. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are planning to introduce new drinks made with the sweetner, rebiana, an extract of stevia leaves.

In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says the agency should require additional tests, including a key animal study, before accepting rebiana as Generally Regarded as Safe, or GRAS.

The letter cites a new 26-page report by toxicologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, several, though not all, laboratory tests show that the sweetener causes mutations and DNA damage, which raises the prospect that it causes cancer.

"A safe, natural, high-potency sweetener would be a welcome addition to the food supply," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "But the FDA needs to be as sure as possible that rebiana is safe before allowing it into foods that would be consumed by tens of millions of people. It would be tragic if the sweetener turned out to cause cancer or other problems."

One key animal study has not been conducted, according to the UCLA experts and CSPI. The FDA's guidelines advise testing prospective major new food additives on two rodent species, usually rats and mice. The new sweetener has only been tested on rats, but not mice.

The toxicologists' report said that because several studies found mutations and DNA damage, a lifetime mouse study designed to evaluate the risk of carcinogenicity and other health problems was particularly important.

The UCLA toxicologists emphasized the need for more genotoxicity tests, because of the evidence that derivatives of stevia that are closely related to rebiana damage DNA and chromosomes.

Their report noted that much of the recent research on rebiana was sponsored by Cargill and urged the FDA to obtain independently conducted tests to ensure that corporate biases don't influence the design, conduct, or results of the tests.

Rebiana is shorthand for rebaudioside A, a component of stevia. It is obtained from the leaves of a shrub native to Brazil and Paraguay. Coke, Pepsi, and other companies are excited about rebiana, because it supposedly tastes better than crude stevia, which is sold as a dietary supplement in health-food stores.

After all the controversies pertaining to saccharin, aspartame, and other artificial sweeteners, the food industry expects many calorie-conscious consumers to eagerly opt for this natural sweetener.

Two companies -- Cargill and Merisant -- have told the FDA that rebiana should be considered GRAS, a category given less scrutiny by the FDA than ordinary food additives. A third company, Wisdom Natural Brands, has declared that its stevia-based sweetener is GRAS and will market it without giving evidence to, or even notifying, the FDA. That company gave CSPI only a heavily redacted report prepared by scientists it hired to declare its stevia derivative, which is of unknown purity, is safe.

Stevia is legal in foods in Japan and several other countries, but the United States, Canada, and the European Union bar stevia in foods because of older tests that suggested it might interfere with reproduction. New tests sponsored by Cargill did not find such problems.

"I am not saying that rebiana is harmful, but it should not be marketed until new studies establish that it is safe," Jacobson said.

Cargill's version of rebiana is called Truvia and would be used by Coca-Cola. Pepsi's version is called PureVia and is produced by Merisant's Whole Earth Sweetener division. Merisant is best known for marketing the Equal brand of aspartame.

CSPI has not questioned the safety of two artificial sweeteners, sucralose (Splenda) and neotame, but says that suggestive evidence indicates that saccharin, aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), and acesulfame-K pose small risks of cancer.

"The whole issue of what gets GRAS status needs to be reviewed by Congress," Jacobson said. "It's crazy that companies can just hire a few consultants to bless their new ingredients and rush them to market without any opportunity for the FDA and the public to review all the safety evidence."

Two of the most harmful ingredients in the food supply are considered GRAS: salt, which raises blood pressure and causes thousands of unnecessary heart attacks and strokes every year, and partially hydrogenated oil, which is the source of artery-clogging artificial trans fat. CSPI has long campaigned to get partially hydrogenated oil out of the food supply and to reduce salt to safe levels.
From Consumer Affairs

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Posted in: aspartame,green living expert,health news,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,rebiana,splenda,stevia,Truvia,Zevia

Oh, I know, you are one of those health nuts

UPDATE: 11 May 2010 - Diabetes associated with statin use Reported Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al, Lancet. 2010;375:735-742. Epub 2010 Feb 16.
Certainly the risk of diabetes is not one which you may wish to undertake. Changing foo and lifestyle can do many great things for health, and help you reduce cholesterol without risk of diabetes.

And from another source here's more old news about the benefits of raw nuts for health. I wonder how many times the same studies are done before the findings trickle down to the everyday public...

Nuts, by the way, in addition to containing vitamin E for cardiovascular health, do contain a fat that is found in deficient levels in people suffering with wheat allergy.

Remember, it's just 1/4 cup daily of raw nuts to help you reap a multitude of benefits to help you avoid using problematic drugs.

Eating nuts may help lower cholesterol levels, US research suggests.
The review of 25 studies, involving nearly 600 people, showed eating on average 67g of nuts - a small bag - a day reduced cholesterol levels by 7.4%.
The US Loma Linda University team believes nuts may help prevent the absorption of cholesterol.
UK experts said the research showed nuts were an important part of a healthy diet, but warned against eating nuts covered in sugar or salt.
Previous work has indicated eating nuts regularly is beneficial, but the Archives of Internal Medicine study set out to put an accurate figure on the effect.

“ The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects ” Lead researcher Joan Sabate

The people involved ate 67g of nuts a day on average, over a period of three to eight weeks.
As well as improving cholesterol levels, it also reduced the amount of triglyceride, a type of blood fat that has been linked to heart disease.
However, the impact was least pronounced among the overweight.
It is not yet clear why nuts have this effect, although one suggestion is that it is down to the plant sterols they contain, which are thought to interfere with cholesterol absorption.
Lead researcher Joan Sabate said increasing nut consumption as part of a healthy diet should be recommended.
He added: "The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects."
Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, agreed, but she urged people to go for unsalted nuts.
"Apart from salted peanuts at the pub, nuts in sugary cereals or the traditional Christmas selection, nuts have been largely lacking in our diets in the UK," she added.
The study was carried out by independent researchers, although it was partly funded by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8673208.stm
Published: 2010/05/10 23:31:27 GMT © BBC MMX
12.15.08 - Nutty for sure but up on healthy foods for longer than most people ever thought of this so-called "new" report on why eating nuts is good for health.

About a dozen years ago I taught one of my seminars at Edmonds Community College about heart health. I had just found an excellent study about how just 1/4 cup daily of raw walnuts would go a long way to keep your heart healthy. Plus they would give you a food source of health promoting vitamin E.

Now someone has gone again and gotten some money to do research about something that could have been found in a thorough search of the literature.

So here you go, since it is "news", a few more facts on nuts.

Please note that the health benefits refer to using raw nuts and organic would be the best choice.

Walnuts

In addition to their omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are an important source of monounsaturated fats — approximately 15% of the fat found in walnuts is healthful monounsaturated fat. A host of studies have shown that increasing the dietary intake of monounsaturated-dense walnuts has favorable effects on high cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors.

and

Did you know that just one-quarter cup of walnuts contains over 90% of the daily value for those hard-to-find omega-3 essential fatty acids? They are called .essential. because they are a special protective type of fat that cannot be manufactured by our body and therefore must be supplied by the foods we eat. Researchers believe that about 60% of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and about 20% have so little that tests cannot even detect any in their blood. The list of benefits derived from omega-3s is impressive, ranging from improving cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of stroke to acting as anti-inflammatory agents and improving bone density. Enjoying walnuts as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating not only adds wonderful taste and texture to your meals, but it is an easy way to include more omega-3s into your diet. Walnuts also contain ellagic acid a compound that supports the immune system and appears to have anticancer properties.

and don't forget that walnuts do have a thyroid lowering effect so perhaps this will aid those with hyperthyroid conditions who aren't sold on slaying their gland with radioactive iodine.

Read more »

Posted in: diabetes and statins,EFA,health news,heart disease,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,Omega 3,organic living expert,vitamin E,walnuts

How Does Your Garden Grow?

UPDATE: April 1
First Aid Remedy for your gardening medicine chest- #1 Remedy: First in First Aid for its ability to minimize trauma, bleeding, bruises and swelling after accidents and to relieve soreness, muscleaches, back and joint pain after trauma, workout, exertion, childbirth... Arnica comes first in first aid for its ability to minimize bruising, bleeding, swelling, initial shock and pain following injuries, dental work, surgery, childbirth... Whenever backs are lifting and joints are twisting, Arnica can minimize the swelling, bruising and pain that can aggravate the initial trauma. Even with no obvious sign of injury, Arnica helps ease stiffness, muscular soreness and pain following frights, exercise, overexertion, sprains, lifting, or even a strong cough. A dose before and after a workout can minimize the next day's stiffness and help the muscles heal. A dose after any head injury is highly recommended, but don't put off the ambulance just because it feels better. For its importance in minimizing trauma, Arnica should be in every room, playground, purse, tool box, first aid kit, office, sports arena and automobile. --------------------------------------
UPDATE on Important Legislative Issues

While HR 875 (DeLauro's bill) has been the primary target of oppostion via the blogosphere thus far, close scrutiny reveals that HR 759 is even MORE dangerous to small farmers, but HR 875 is still very dangerous, although its apparently only a placeholder bill. The danger in it is that it removes Food from FDA purview putting it under a new Food Agency separate from FDA, while LEAVING dietary supplements AT FDA (as if they are drugs which is how FDA has always thought of them.
This could turn DSHEA on its head.
Dingell's bill, HR 759 is called the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2009 (Introduced in House) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.759:
Dingell has been our arch enemy for years.
See http://www.ccof.org/pdf/Food_and_Water_Watch_re_HR_875.pdf

Originally posted 3/11/09

I'm getting ready to start my garden up here at about 2700 feet above sea level. I'll be adding new soil to my raised beds and spading in some new peat moss in about another week when this cold snap has finally passed over.

It should be 50 degrees by now, but today it barely made 25. It has just been a weird weather year.

And I won't be gardening with out the handy dandy good green stuff from my buddies in Trenton aka wild west worms or Just Plain TerraCycle.

Don't forget to stock up yourself, you will be amazed at the results!

And I bet you'll never go back to that blue stuff.

On a related note, especially if you have a large property, you can grow specific plants that can be used for fertilizer and other plant and soil amendments. All the information is is my now 10+ year old book, "My Happy Garden". Order it with your $8.00 payment to Creating Health Institute via PayPal, which includes mail delivery in the US. Foreign orders, please contact us.

You can also consider this tip - Grow Your Own Salad

Also for your consideration is this information related to one very good reason for growing your own.

A FOOD CHAIN RELEASE FROM METROFARM.
They tell us it is for our own good, that they are simply trying to help, that we should trust them to do what we cannot do for ourselves. They lead us to ask…

Will House Bill 875 federalize all farms and ranches in the USA?

This Saturday at 9am Pacific, Michael Olson’s Food Chain Radio hosts Pete Kennedy, Acting President of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, for a conversation about the impact HB 875 might have on the nation’s food chain.

Click the blue to listen on your radio, computer or IPOD: Food Chain Radio

Topics include how HB 875 would place every farm and ranch under the direct supervision of a new federal Food Safety Administration (FSA); how the FSA would have the power to access and inspect every farm in the United States, as well as the customer list of each of those farms; and whether the federalization of the entire food chain would make for a safer food supply.

Read more »

Posted in: 2009,Food Chain Radio,gardening,Green Living,grow organic food,HB 875,HB759,Metrofarm,My Happy Garden,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,TerraCycle

Damaging Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods

From Organic Consumer's Association today-

Although genetically modified (GM) corn is banned in most of the world, it has been approved as "safe" for human consumption in the U.S. for 12 years and is now likely unknowingly consumed, in one form or another, by more than 90% of Americans on a regular basis. But a recent series of peer-reviewed studies were published in 2008 confirming previous studies indicating potentially severe health and environmental problems associated with the biotech crops. Recent alarming scientific research includes:

1) A new long term study by the Austrian government confirms previous findings that consumption of GM corn, for as little as 20 weeks, can damage the reproductive system, lower fertility rates and increase illness and death rates in offspring.

2) Researchers in Mexico reported in December that some popular varieties of GM corn negatively affect the learning response of bees. Scientists say this may be an indicator of the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, a recent catastrophic and mysterious die-off of as much as 30% of the world's honey bee population in the past couple of years.

3) In Italy, scientists published a study that put the biotech industry in a public relations tailspin. In the study, laboratory tests showed a direct connection between consumption of GM corn and a damaged immune system.

Additionally OCA suggests that you can use these tips to help you avoid GMO ingredients and "Frankenfoods."

1) Look for products that voluntarily label themselves as GMO or GE-free.

2) Buy Organic: Products certified as "Organic" are not allowed to contain genetically modified ingredients.

3) Avoid non-organic products that contain the most common genetically engineered ingredients: corn (corn syrup, corn meal, corn oil, etc.), fructose, dextrose, glucose, modified food starch, ingredients including the word "soy" (soy flour, soy lecithin, etc.), vegetable oil, vegetable protein, canola oil (also called rapeseed oil), cottonseed oil, and sugar from sugar beets.

More more information please see OCA's site,

and read this report.

Read more »

Posted in: consumer health,genetically modified food,GMO food harms health,infertility and GMO food,natural health expert,natural health news,Organic Consumers,organic living expert

Scents for Cents

UPDATE: Related articles
Fresh scents may hide toxic secret
Fresh, clean air does not come in a can
Pet Health
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a friend whose house used to be full of those scent sprayers plugged into every wall outlet in her house. This made it almost impossible for me to ever visit her.

As she was always complaining of headache I mentioned that she could try using pure essential oils in a spray bottle and it would work better and be healthier, as well as save her a lot of money.

After the switch she told me about all the headaches cleared up and how much better she felt.

It isn't just that these products contain endocrine disrupting chemicals, they are also replete with formaldehyde and petroleum distillates. All of these chemicals do impact your health, just like Lysol.

Their impact on pet health is at issue as well.

Dollars and Scents
By Kiera Butler

A breezy history of the air freshener.
Mother Jone November/December 2008 Issue

1930s - Lysol is America's most popular contraceptive. Really.

1952 - Little Trees first hung on rearview mirrors.

1956 - Glade introduces the air freshener spray can.

1974 - Glade solid scent sticks hit shelves.

1989 - Plug-in air fresheners exude ambience 24-7.

1994 - Man sprays Prince Charles with a can of air freshener.

1997 - US air freshener sales reach $239 million.

2002 - Renuzit unveils the Super Odor Neutralizer.

2004 - Air Wick releases Relaxation and Revitalization scents. Febreeze launches Scentstories "scent-themed" discs. Sample: Exploring a Mountain Trail.

2006 - Glade presents the Scented Oil Light Show—designed for girls 8 to 12.

2007 - Enviro group finds hormone-disrupting chemicals in "all-natural" air fresheners, asks EPA for further testing. SC Johnson sues Dial for stealing its three-scents-in-one idea.

2008 - US air freshener market hits $2.3 billion—not including scented candles

and from TIME

Read more »

Posted in: air freshener,green living expert,health news,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,pet health

Estrogen in moisturizers may worsen breast cancer

UPDATE: December 19
This report totally overlooks the effect of these chemicals on women's health. It looks as if all women effected by breast cancer need to write their representatives in Congress, and the EPA.

Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together
Scientists to EPA: Risks of Chemicals That Alter Male Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together Concluding that nearly everybody is exposed to a mix of chemicals that could be damaging male reproductive health, a national panel of scientists on Thursday advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift its focus and group them together when judging how much of a danger they pose.

I have referred more than once to the preeminent work of Judi Vance and her 1990s book, "Beauty to Die For". This work began the trail of others that has slowly come forward to report on the very same concerns - there are toxic chemicals in health and beauty products (HABA).

Now the information is coming from the medical establishment.

Even so-called 'natural brands' sold in health stores contain some of these questionable ingredients. And again I encourage you to read labels. Even if the FDA approved a single ingredient they do not test or approve mixtures of ingredients, and this is one place where problems start.

The UV blocking, sun screen type products are also a risk, as most contain endocrine disrupting chemicals.

It is never too late, but perhaps consider all the damage that might have been prevented had people listened to what Judi had to say over 10 years ago.

Another concern is that most of the mass market products act more like a barrier. This continues your purchasing cycle rather than provide you with a product that truly acts to heal dry skin.

The products I have used for a long time now are the result of over twenty years of research and development to achieve real results. If you are looking for organic products I highly recommend Kettle Care.

Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen...
By Jill Stein, Reuters - December 15, 2008

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters Health) - Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen without even knowing it, investigators reported at a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio.

Dr. Adrienne Olson, with Breastlink in Hawthorne, California, and colleagues analyzed 16 widely available moisturizers for estrogen-like compounds.

None of the creams analyzed noted any estrogen content in their list of ingredients. Even so, six samples contained estriol or estrone.

Olson, who is a seven-year breast cancer survivor, explained that estrogens applied to the skin are more efficiently absorbed into the body than estrogens taken orally.

She urged women with breast cancer that is driven by estrogen (that is, estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer) to avoid externally applied estrogen to minimize the risk of a recurrence.

Women without breast cancer are also at risk, she added. If they use estrogen-containing topical moisturizers, they may be dosing themselves daily with estrogen for extended periods, thereby boosting their risk of breast cancer.

Suzanne M. Snedeker, PhD at Cornell University has a very informative page on estrogens in cosmetics.

Another resource is the Cosmetics Data Base

From My Print Media Series for 12.08, Health Matters©: Natural Notes on Health
Select Recipes Courtesy: StarWest Botanicals
Natural Notes on Health:Winter Skin Care

About 15 years ago I met a woman from Canada that spent over a decade researching the cosmetic industry. She published her book in the early 1990s and subsequently moved because of the number of threats she got because she was exposing this $10 billion industry.

Just in the last few years there are several groups that have raised the issue that Judi Vance first addressed in the 1980s that led to her book, “Beauty to Die For”.

Another friend and colleague of mine has made natural cosmetics now for 25 years. I always sold or recommended her products to my clients and many other people. Her business is now certified organic and she grows many of the herbs and plants that she uses in her products.

Another thing to consider is that even prescription creams, lotions and shampoos for contain a number of ingredients that are untested in combination or may be skin irritants or carcinogenic.

Once it gets colder, drier and windier during the winter months skin takes quite a beating. Probably the most common complaint during these months is dry skin, but it can be prevented with natural products and supplements.

The best way to protect against dry skin is to make sure you have an adequate intake of vitamin A along with vitamins D and E. These are three of the four fat soluble vitamins and this means that you need to ingest healthy fats like butter, olive oil or coconut oil to help the vitamins absorb so they can do their job.

An option you have as well is to make some products on your own.

The good part about making your own natural skin care products is that you control what goes into them and they are free of artificial chemicals. What you make is luxurious and can even be fragrance free.

You reduce waste too because you don’t have to deal with excess packaging.

An easy lip balm can be made as follows:
Please note that most vitamin E capsules are made from synthetic ingredients like GMO soy oil. It is best to use natural vitamin E and this oil is readily available, even in high potency.

If you flavor your lip balm make sure you choose natural flavors as well. Fragrance oils are most often synthetic and made from petroleum and use chemical flavoring.
Use raw or uncooked and unprocessed honey, and olive oil sold in glass bottles. Shea Butter can be used with the bees wax.

2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. beeswax - grated
1/2 tsp. pure cocoa butter
Flavored oil of your choice
1 vitamin E capsule

In a small saucepan, heat oil, honey, wax and cocoa butter over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat and cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flavoring and contents of vitamin E capsule. Pour into container.
Anti-aging Dry Skin Moisturizer

4 ounces Shea butter
2 ounces organic olive oil
2 teaspoons organic vitamin E oil, 5000 IU
1 teaspoon active royal jelly
6 drops organic lavender essential oil

Blend ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It is necessary to make this in small amounts and keep refrigerated because of the active royal jelly. This is an awesome ingredient for its healing properties and well worth the effort.

Super Simple Moisturizer
For your hair: Mix one ripe avocado with 2 TBSP raw honey and blend well. Apply to hair for 20-30 minutes, and then wash as usual (you might want to think about using natural hair care products to avoid the chemicals in most shampoos and conditioners).
For your skin: Blend 1/4 cup Aloe vera gel and 2 TBSP vegetable glycerin, of each. You can also add 3 drops of pure essential oil or add 1/2 teaspoon of active royal jelly for anti aging effects.

For your nails: Blend 2 ounces of pure Palma Cristi castor oil with 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil. Massage into nails and cuticles. This also helps reduce or eliminate nail fungus.

I have made my own skin care oil blend for many years using vitamin E oil, rose hips oil and jojoba oil. Rose hips are very high in vitamin C while jojoba oil is good to protect from the effects of aging as is vitamin E. This blend is high in anti-oxidants and lubricates the skin while not being greasy. I find that the fragrance of the oils is very pleasant and I don’t add anything extra.

Jeanne Rose has a wonderful book that I relied on in my hippie days and while raising my children. I suggest it might be available from your library or favorite used book store.

You can order all supplies from the botanical link found on our blog, at www.naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com.

And while a commercial product, I recommend Aura Glow for bath oil or after showering. This is an Edgar Cayce remedy and is available under the Heritage Store brand.

Copyright © 2008 TOC. All rights reserved.

Are Hidden Hormones Destroying Your Health?Health News By VRP Staff
The FDA calls them safe—but you’d be right to think twice.

Synthetic hormones saturate your daily environment—many of them lurking in the meat and milk products you’ve been consuming now for years. And they can come at a very steep price. In fact, if you’re having trouble losing weight, struggling with metabolic syndrome, or battling prostate or breast cancer despite having no family history of the disease, then you may already be paying the price.

The truth is, a lot of today’s modern health crises can be traced back to estrogen. It’s a potent hormone—and its effects can go both ways.

That’s because your body metabolizes estrogen into several different byproducts, including 2-hydroxy, 4-hydroxy, and 16 hydroxy estrogens. Two out of the three—4-hydroxy and 16-hydroxy estrogens—can pose some very serious threats to your health. Research has linked heightened levels of these inflammation-promoting estrogens to breast, cervix and prostate cancers—and to stubborn obesity that can eventually lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.1-2

On the contrary, high levels of 2-hydroxy estrogens—or “good estrogens” as they’re sometimes called—have quite the opposite effect, serving to lower telltale PSA levels and protect vulnerable tissue in the prostate, cervix, and breast from cancerous developments.3

Whether the estrogen in your body hurts or helps you is entirely dependent upon how your body uses it—and fortunately, a natural phytonutrient called diindolylmethane (DIM) can ensure that it’s used properly. It’s a potent antioxidant found in cruciferous vegetables, and research shows that it can suppress the macrophage activity that sparks the inflammatory cascade of hormones and cytokines.4-5 It also helps your body to metabolize and remove toxic inflammatory pollutants—thereby reducing these chemicals’ role in disease-promoting inflammation.

Most importantly, DIM has a direct effect on estrogen metabolism, yielding a much higher level of protective 2-hydroxy estrogens.6-7 Not only does this stave off deadly cancerous developments, but it also contributes to weight loss in humans and animals—preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.8-9 As an added benefit, it also helps to preserve levels of tryptophan, the “feel good” hormone responsible for serotonin production—which is in turn responsible for better moods and appetite control.10-11

DIM is an insoluble indole, meaning that it’s difficult for your body to absorb—but a pure, microencapsulated form of the product insures maximum bioavailablity.12 And that means vital protection against the emerging—and potentially deadly—threat of environmental estrogens.

(High quality DIM products may be ordered from Natural Health News professional partners, with profits going to support this blog and our other avtivities. Please contact us for ordering information or other product information.)
References:

1. Coffey DS. Similarities of prostate and breast cancer: Evolution, diet, and estrogens. Urology. 2001 Apr;57(4 Suppl 1):31-8.

2. Schneider J, Bradlow HL, Strain G, Levin J, Anderson K, Fishman J. Effects of obesity on estradiol metabolism: decreased formation of nonuterotropic metabolites. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1983 May;56(5):973-8.

3. Le HT, Schaldach CM, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF. Plant-derived 3,3’-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jun 6;278(23):21136-45.

4. Cho HJ, Seon MR, Lee YM, Kim J, Kim JK, Kim SG, Park JH. 3,3’-Diindolylmethane suppresses the inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide in murine macrophages. J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):17-23.

5. Harman-Boehm I, Blüher M, Redel H, Sion-Vardy N, Ovadia S, Avinoach E, Shai I, Klöting N, Stumvoll M, Bashan N, Rudich A. Macrophage infiltration into omental versus subcutaneous fat across different populations: effect of regional adiposity and the comorbidities of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;92(6):2240-7.

6. Zeligs MA. Diet and estrogen status: the cruciferous connection. J Medicinal Foods. 1998;1:67 82.

7. Dalessandri, KM, Firestone GL, Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, Bjeldanes LF. Pilot study: effect of 3,3’-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2004;50(2):161-7.

8. Ackerman GE, et al., Potentiation of epinephrine-induced lipolysis by catechol estrogens and their methoxy derivatives, Endocrinology. 1981;109:2084-8.

9. Zeligs MA. Phytochemicals for promoting weight loss. US Patent #6,534,085, 2003, March.

10. Brandacher G, Hoeller E, Fuchs D, Weiss HG. Chronic immune activation underlies morbid obesity: is IDO a key player? Curr Drug Metab. 2007 Apr;8(3):289-95.

11. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, Del Ben M, Laviano A, Muscaritoli M, Antonucci F, Rossi-Fanelli F. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Nov;56(5):863-7.

12. Zeligs MA and Jacobs IC. Compositions and methods of adjusting steroid hormone metabolism through phytochemicals. US Patent #6,086,915. 2000, July.

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Posted in: Cancer,estrogen,health news,independent information,Kettle Care,moisturizers,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,prevent breast cancer

Jet Lag: Natural Cure Safer Than New Drug

UPDATE: 28 December - It appears that quite a few people are looking for a garlic remedy to help with jet lag. I find it a rather curious use of garlic, but after some research I found that it is a ginger-garlic mix that may help. The writer advises that it is very important to stay hydrated and avoid coffee, carbonated beverages and alcohol when flying. This same suggestion is what we have advised for decades when flying. The air circulation system in aircraft is dehydrating as are the aforementioned beverages. Water, tomato or apple juices are better choices.

It seems to that the same pre-flight and post flight dosing schedule we suggest for the B complex and other vitamins in our jet lag remedy are followed: Take on two days before flight, the day of flight, and the day after flight.

It also helps to set your watch to the time zone where you will be landing prior to flight.

The nice part about ginger is that is helps with sea and air sickness and digestion as well as helping you stay warm (garlic is warming too).

When you arrive, this source suggests a warm bath and massage or foot massage specifically. Placing a few ginger tea bags in your bath will help too. An added factor from ginger is that it does help in a small way to support the adrenal glands and this may act as a stress reducer.

If you choose to use raw garlic I'd suggest soaking it in raw honey for at least 10 minutes before chewing. The honey adds nutrients and enzymes that are helpful for stress and this indicates one reason why a spoonful of the luscious liquid is an insomnia help.

This sounds very similar to the data I contributed to one of Rodale's books on healing. Material from Rebecca Wood is referenced in this update.
-----------------------------------------------------------

I don't know why this pill popping culture we have is always bowing at the feet of Big Pharma.

Just the thought of another drug smacks more of profiteering to me. What about a better use for all the money in drug development: how it could benefit people through education on already existing safe, natural approaches to relieving jet lag and sleep/health problems associated with shift work.

I've had a great Jet Lag remedy on file at my office for 40 years. Many people have used it and tell me it worked great. I think readily available and inexpensive melatonin can be effective but I prefer not to suggest using it.

I am impressed with the results I am getting from blue light contact us for more details) therapy however.

Even certain foods, select vitamins, adjusting your watch and a good attempt at maintaining hydration go a long way to help you with this concern.

So, why an expensive drug?

Recover development costs while the patent is in effect and mega bucks to keep share prices up.

And how might this apply to your health?

New Medication Brings Hope Of Jet Lag Cure

ScienceDaily (2008-12-17) -- Researchers have found a new drug with the potential to alleviate jet lag and sleep disorders caused by shift work. ... > read full article

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Posted in: foods for sleep,hydration,jet lag,light therapy,melatonin,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,shift work,sleep,vitamins for jet lag

Holiday Cheer or Holiday Hangover

In 2004 I put together an herbal product to address the issue of binge drinking in response to the college binge drinking problem. At the time I lived in an area with two universities, each having a well known "party" history.

The herbal combination worked very well for those who tried it, and the best part was that it made you not want to drink so much.

Even one college tavern offered it to their late night party crowd along with a vegetable juice drink blend I created to help with avoiding that after-drinking, next morning hangover.

This process was short circuited after a business that was selling the product decided to attack me by using baseless and fabricated mis-information. Their point was to avoid paying a rather large debt legally owed to the non-profit organization that publishes Natural Health News.

Other than the interference by the Pullman Pranksters, Bad Brian and Bad Paul, the product continues to help many people, even OTR drivers.

Now with the holiday party season in full swing I though ti might be a good idea to pull the articles from the archives and make it available to readers to help them with the usually too heavy imbibing that happens when toasting the season around this time of year.

And you have plenty of time to stock up before New Year's Eve.

New Herbal Remedy Developed for College Binge Drinking Can Help Reduce Campus Drinking and Associated Fatalities.

Chalmer's Choice for hangover and alcohol abuse prevention

Hangover is a mild version of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Sometimes it gives you a headache, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, thirst and dehydration, fatigue, and a general lousy-all-over feeling.

From time to time we do fail to take caution and over-indulge in alcohol. When this occurs, Chalmer's Choice is here to help.

This proprietary nutritional pack has been developed to help you have a smoother and less stressful reaction on party nights, and for the morning-after.

Chalmer's Choice, Formula A, helps before drinking to keep you from imbibing to excess. Chalmer's Choice, Formula B, taken along with Formula A, helps you on the morning after, providing relief and helping to clear ill-effects of too much booze.

Make a donation with your purchase and receive our recipe for the "After Zapper"

This product is named after a man named Chalmer. He and I became friend's some years ago when he needed help to re-build his health. He was a member of the same AA group as another friend I helped recover from Hep C. Chalmer made an entire lifestyle change at an advanced age. One of his son's told me at his memorial service that I had given him an extra five years of life. While I am grateful for the comment,I often have to remind people that I am just a coach; they have to do the work.

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Posted in: Chalmer's Choice,green living expert,hangover,hangover remedy,health news,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert

Adding Your Comments

I have on occasion requested that people who post comments to my blog, Natural Health News, be courteous enough to use a name of an ID rather than post anonymously. Sometimes this happens and something this doesn't.

Generally I reserve the right not to post your comment if it is sent ANON. I also don't like comments that appear to be strictly an ADVERT. I do however read them all and I do think sometimes the information is valuable enough to post. And this is a quandary.

I've gone through some recent comments and am adding them here in an edited form, because they do help with the purpose of Natural Health News to INFORM.

Sierra Night Tide is concerned about the FDA taking action to limit asthma drugs when they added a comment "FDA defies DSHEA in latest threat to dietary supplements":

I have severe asthma and two of the medicine the FDA wants to ban is on the list. I am asking that anyone that has or has known someone with a lung disorder please contact the FDA and let them know that all Americans with any disorder or disease be allowed to continue living life best they can with the current medicines available and not to ban them. Banning even one of the medicines I take can reduce my daily life by as much as 50%

http://www.fda.gov/comments.html

I would like to comment that there are other options for people with asthma that are much less damaging that the standard medical treatment offered to people with asthma.

One thing is to consider adding magnesium to your supplement regime. Another is to increase your vitamin C and B complex. In traditional naturopathy bee pollen was often used because it supports the adrenals and helps with providing B, C and other helpful nutrients. Using bee pollen is something you need to test for and slowly introduce it into your program, especially if you are allergic to bee sting. Of course you do need to consider reviewing all your concerns with the prescriber of your medication. Vitamin A also can be very helpful because it is the main nutrient for the mucous membrane lining of the respiratory system. Vitamin E helps O2 cross the alveolar membrane. Exceptionally high quality eucalyptus essential oil is helpful to spray in the air around your home as it heals the mucous membrane. Removing all toxic home cleaning chemicals is another way to help improve your environment. And of course you need to look at the possibilities of food and chemical reactions. Herbs like mullein help reduce mucus, peppermint is also helpful to some. Breathing exercises are also beneficial. Cells salt - Ferr Phos and Mag Phos are good as is DMG to give more O2 and other benefits. And don't forget to consider drug interaction issues and nutrient depletion caused by your Rx, along with getting tested for adrenal fatigue or impaired thyroid function or various anemias.

Keep up your great work! I understand that the only approved application for aspartame, is as an insecticide.

Love, Dr Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpEgurO-ec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIFDoOwSFM&feature=related

Aspartame expert comments on aspartame and refers us to a You Tube video that shows the same. If you doubt the comment look up the Merck Index which is a chemist's manual or search for the aspartame MSDS sheet.

Whoever posted this next comment is correct in some ways but I question some of what they say as it appears they think of it as dogma. As one example, while EDTA can be helpful it has some things you need to consider before you think it is the cure. Olive oil is not toxic if you use first press and it is sold in glass bottles. The other thing I didn't like about this commenter is that thay sent in a second comment shortly after this one and attacked me because they thought I censored their comment. They seemed very angry.

Don't forget that anger causes damage to your cardiovascular system!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A downside to using "plant sterols"":

The main problem with all this is that you DO NOT have to lower blood cholesterol, so whether it is by taking synthetic statins that block CQ10 production, cause kidney faulure and weaken muscles, or by reducing dietary sat. fats that raise cancer risk and reduce intake of many valuable nutrients or by taking plant sterols, as explained in thearticle, there is have NO scientific basis for all this.

Letet me explain. Dietary cholesterol does not cause heart disease, and high blood cholesterol is not an indicator of heart disease. This nonsense started with a faulty study In Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1953, that showed that the population had slightly elevated blood cholesterol, and also slightly elevated heart disease. The study mistakenly concluded that dietary cholesterol had caused the higher rates of heart disease, and the higher blood cholesterol had caused the higher heart disease. To this day it is accepted dogma by the mainstream, having had a non-questionnable mega-billion dollar food and drug industry built around it.

What raised the cholesterol levels of the subjects in the study? One or more, or any combination of... insufficient omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, lack of vigorous exercise, overweight, lack of sufficient Viatmin B3, (niacin), post menopausal period in woman, aging in men.

What caused the heart disease to be slightly above average in Framingham?

One or more, or any combination of high blood triglycerides, (blood fats elevated by sugar, alcohol and carbs); high lipo-protein alpha, (lowered with vitamin C); high homocysteine, (lowered with vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid); to a lesser extent, smoking, dog heart worm, transfats, inflammation from obesity.

Lets examine some high cholesterol foods. Butter contains the omegas in perfect proportion, arichidonic and conjugated linoleic acids, magnesium, selenium. Butter synthesises Vitamin B6 through friendly intestinal bacteria, reducing heart-disease causing homocysteine Study in Lancet, showed that those on the very high ghee, (butter), diet had one tenth the heart disease of pure vegetarians. Eggs contain l-cysteine and selenium, powerful heart-protecting anti-oxidants. (Study by Drs Cayley and Hammond, American Cancer Socoiety, showed that those that ate more than 5 eggs a week had less heart disease.) Beef fat contains conjugated linoleic acid, and beef is a rich souce of protein, minerals and vitamins.

Many groups of people have a very high sat. fat diet but no heart disease history. The Masai in East Africa, the Eskimo, the Benedicitine Monks, the Irish in America, and various Pacific Islanders.

Further, the so called Mediterranean diet, does not in reality exist. Italians traditionally cook with butter, goose fat and lard, depending on the region, the Greeks eat large amounts of high sat. fat feta goat cheese daily, the Spanisha and Portuguese loads of fatty pork and eggs, and the French cook with butter and cream, and consume much cheese. Less heart disease yes, but not from the toxic olive oil.(H R Clark, 2007) nor from eating nore fish!

The food pyramids are also not science based, but thats another 10,0000 word essay. Ignore them for better health.

Before dropping eggs, butter, fatty red meat, liver etc and taking anything to reduce you cholesterol levels, you need to go outside the big pharma mind-control box and do someserious study that will affect your life.

Already have have narrowed arteries? Do your utmost to get hold of EDTA. It works, and with 20 beneficial side effects.

I applaud this commentor for her openness and willingness to share. It is one of the reasons I posted her quote about healing on Natural Health News. She has an informational site about Interstitial Cystitis (IC). I sent her some information about correcting this situation with natural approaches and they are related to my post on Marshmallow herb.

Cathy has left a new comment on your post "just a quote for today":

...recovering from IC. I was diagnosed 2 and a half years ago. I have been dealing with the symptoms for a lot longer though. I've been on tons of medications and had 10 surgeries since I was diagnosed. I was just wondering what worked for you. I currently have a urostomy bag and would someday like to get rid of it and maybe something that worked for you could also work for me! Thanks for your time.

Cathy
(Catwoman100780@yahoo.com)

I hope this person does do what they state -

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Vitamins for Alzheimer's":

my dad died from alzeheimers complications. thanks for the article ! perhaps i'll start some kind of preventative therapy.

And one last ANON comment came from someone who was selling an algae type product for Parkinson's which was too much of a sales pitch for me.

I hope you benefit from what these readers of Natural Health News have to say.

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Posted in: comments,green living expert,health news,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert

Another Gardasil Gaffe

When does the madeness stop?

Mystery illness paralyses girl given cervical cancer jab by Daniel Foggo and Philip Cardy

A 12-year-old schoolgirl has been left paralysed from the waist down by a mystery illness that came on 30 minutes after she was given the new anticervical cancer jab.

Ashleigh Cave suffered dizziness and headaches soon after the vaccination at her school and then deteriorated rapidly, collapsing several times over the following days.

A week later she was admitted to hospital after losing all strength in her legs and, two months on, there has been no improvement.

Her mother Cheryl, 37, from Aintree, Merseyside, is blaming her daughter’s condition on the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab, which was introduced in Britain in September as part of a government-funded vaccination programme.

All girls aged 12 and 13 are being offered vaccinations with Cervarix, a drug that stimulates the body to defend itself against HPV, to protect against the later onset of cervical cancer which is linked to the virus.

In America, where an immunisation programme using a similar product, Gardasil, began more than a year earlier, there have been dozens of serious “adverse events” reported in which a link to the vaccinations is suspected.

They included 30 deaths in addition to cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an auto-immune disease that can cause paralysis. The American authorities have said, however, that there is no evidence the HPV jabs caused these reactions.

Ashleigh’s case has been logged with Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as an instance of possible Guillain-Barré syndrome, although her doctors have now apparently ruled it out as the cause.

The agency has also indicated that the illness was probably not caused by the jab. Ashleigh’s doctor at Alder Hey children’s hospital, Liverpool, where she is undergoing tests, has said she did not have a “pathological reaction” to the vaccine.

Cheryl Cave said that she found the timing of her daughter’s symptoms impossible to ignore.

She said that within 30 minutes of Ashleigh having the jab at Maricourt Catholic high school on the morning of October 15, she was complaining of severe headaches and dizziness. Over the next 48 hours her condition worsened and she collapsed five times. Two days later they set off to visit friends in Hampshire but the schoolgirl collapsed again on the train.

She was admitted to Frimley Park hospital in Camberley, Surrey, where doctors gave the initial diagnosis of “vertigo and generalised myalgia, probably due to recent vaccinations”.

On October 22, a week after she was given the HPV jab, she was admitted to Alder Hey hospital, where she has remained ever since.

Her mother said: “At first they tried to tell us she was imagining it because she was being bullied . . . they will not mention her illness and the vaccine in the same sentence.”

A spokesman for the medicines agency said: “Guillain-Barré syndrome naturally occurs in the population. There is no good evidence to suggest that the Cervarix vaccine can cause [it].”

GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Cervarix, said that the agency had suggested the case “was not linked to the vaccine”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5337885.ece

An UPDATE from a colleague in France

RE:Daily Mail 14.12.2008
CERVICAL CANCER JAB LEFT MY 12 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PARALYSED,SAYS MOTHER
12 year old Ashleigh Cave of Liverpool developed a mystery illness half and hour after receiving cervical cancer vaccine and is now paralysed from the waist down.
There have been 30 deaths reported with the vaccine and cases of Guillian-Barre syndrome, an immune disorder which can lead to paralysis.-- --------- -----

Edward's comments: The BNF drug book doctors prescribe from in the UK lists possible side effects due to vaccines - anaphylactic shock etc. A book which I have by specialist immunologists points out that instead of the desired resistance to disease a vaccine can cause hypersensitivity and tissue damage. These documented undesirable effects are swept under the carpet in the efforts to sell more products.

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Posted in: Cevarix,Gardasil,GlaxoSmithKline,health news,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,organic living expert,paralysis,vaccine risk