Health Hero Passes

I am old enough to remember being a young mother and staying at home with my daughter, and following Jack LaLanne's exercise program pretty faithfully.

My daughter will be 49 later this year.  I hope some of what she learned from me has helped her.  She is an artist and a massage therapist now. 

I tried to pass on to her much of what I learned from Jack.  He will be missed, not only by me but by many I know whose lives he influenced.



Lung Health

A new study reports that beta-glucan is very helpful for protecting lung health, just as is vitamin A (oil based) and vitamin C.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION - Pleuran, Beta-Glucan, Glucan

Reference:"Pleuran (Beta-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) supplementation, cellular immune response and respiratory tract infections in athletes," Bergendiova K, Majtan J, et al, Eur J Appl Physiol, 2011, Jan 20; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address:Pneumo-Alergo Centrum, s.r.o., Uzbecka 16, 821 06, Bratislava, Slovakia).

Summary:In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 50 athletes undergoing strenuous physical training, results indicate that supplementation with pleuran, an insoluble glucan from mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, may exert beneficial effects. The athletes were randomised to pleuran or placebo for a period of 3 months. At intervention end, a significant reduction in incidences of URTI (upper respiratory tract infections) symptoms and increased number of circulating NK cells were observed in the pleuran group. Additionally, a significant reduction of phagocytosis was observed in the placebo group alone. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, "These findings indicate that pleuran may serve as an effective nutritional supplement for athletes under heavy physical training."

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Posted in: beta glucan,Jack LaLanne,lung health,vitamin A,vitamin C

Now They Want Your Vitamin C

URGENT ALERT

CONTACT FDA NOW

From ANH - The FDA has just notified small pharmacies that they will no longer be allowed to manufacture or distribute injectable vitamin C—despite its remarkable power to heal conditions that conventional medicine can’t touch. Please help reverse this outrageous decision!
Let’s get this straight. The government acknowledges the risk of a worldwide flu pandemic. It acknowledges that conventional drugs cannot cure big viruses-like the mononucleosis and hepatitis viruses, many influenza viruses, and many others. It acknowledges that many bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics and are killing increasing thousands. It acknowledges the risk of a worldwide drug-resistant TB pandemic.
Despite acknowledging all this, it now insists on wiping out one of the best potential treatments for these conditions and for certain cancers as well. And why is this being done? What possible rationale is offered? Because it’s dangerous? No. Because it can’t be patented and therefore won’t be taken through the standard FDA approval process. No matter that vitamin C is one of the least toxic components of our food supply and liquid forms of it have been used safely for decades.
By the way, here is what is not safe. Don’t substitute home-made vitamin C solution for pharmaceutical grade liquid. That is not safe for injection. If the FDA action leads someone to do that, the FDA should be held responsible for the results.
The government, instead of banning intravenous vitamin C, should instead be supporting research into it. Even though IV C is being used in burn units around the world, including in the US, and has been adopted by the military for this purpose, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) refuses to fund any studies using intravenous C in patients. There are privately funded studies currently underway, but of course these cannot continue if the FDA bans the substance.
With at least one of the pharmacies, the FDA seems to be banning injectable magnesium chloride and injectable vitamin B-complex 100 as well. These two substances are routinely added to intravenous C to make the “Myers Cocktail,” used especially for conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, and infectious diseases such as hepatitis, AIDS, mononucleosis, and flu. The FDA is not going after the Myers Cocktail directly, but is rather attacking each individual substance used to make the cocktail, and may conceivably be going after injectable vitamins and minerals in general, despite such injections being given under the care of a qualified physician.

Please contact the FDA right away, and tell them to stop this foolish war on intravenous vitamin C!

Each of us reading this should think, “Intravenous C could someday save my life.” Dr. Jonathan Collin, editor of the Townsend Letter, discusses the case of a man in New Zealand who nearly died from swine flu. After developing a severe fever and upper respiratory infection, his condition deteriorated and he became comatose. Eventually even a ventilator was insufficient to keep him breathing because his lungs were so compromised by pulmonary edema. After weeks of heroic intervention, doctors decided there was no chance of survival and nothing further should be done for him.
The family asked the hospital to administer intravenous vitamin C. After much disagreement, the hospital gave him 25 grams of vitamin C every 6 hours. There was so much improvement over the next two days that the hospital decided to reinstate his intensive care—but they discontinued the vitamin C, saying that he had improved only because they had rolled him onto his side or his stomach instead of keeping him on his back! Not surprisingly, his condition once again deteriorated.
The family moved him to another facility that reluctantly allowed the IV vitamin C (albeit at a lower dose), and his lung function gradually improved. He came out of coma after four weeks, and after taking vitamin C orally, he gradually improved enough to be discharged. One year later, he was back to flying his plane and surveying his farm in New Zealand. None of the doctors who fought so hard to prevent his treatment with vitamin C have ever acknowledged their error.
Even people in perfectly good health may not be getting enough vitamin C. We recently noted the research that up to 87% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. But studies also show that many people may be deficient in vitamin C as well. A recent study on 1,000 Canadian adults found 33% had suboptimal levels of vitamin C—one in seven was “very deficient”—which could place them at increased risk for chronic health problems. Those who were vitamin C deficient were also more likely to have larger waists, greater body mass, and higher blood pressure.
The study’s author, Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, suggested eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and peppers, or taking supplements. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in nonsmoking adults is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg for women, though some experts say a minimum daily dose of 120 to 200 mg is more appropriate, and some routinely take much higher doses themselves. Research also shows that people suffering from various diseases may benefit from larger amounts. In the case of the common cold, a review of published trials found that amounts of 2 grams per day appear to be more effective than 1 gram.
But there is a big difference between oral vitamin C and intravenous C. One maintains your health. The other seems to directly attack pathogens and cancer cells. Vitamin C taken orally will not do this, because the concentration does not seem sufficient to accomplish the task.

Please take action immediately! Please contact the FDA, and tell them to take their job of protecting our health seriously—by allowing injectable vitamin C, magnesium chloride, and vitamin B-complex 100 to continue being manufactured and sold! And don’t accept the answer that these substances need to be taken through the full FDA approval process. These are not patentable substances and no one will pay billions to do that. To require a standard approval process for them is identical to banning them, as the FDA know full well.

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Posted in: FDA,natural health news,vitamin C

Citrus Season Goodies

Whole food is much better for you, we know.  Today we have to take care to buy organic or to be sure to use an effective system to remove farm chemicals and fungicides used in the citrus business from food like those recommended in our publication “FOOD SAFETY: CLEANSING OPTIONS”.  GMO oranges are suggested to be coming soon too, so taking care to avoid these will become very crucial.

It is best to eat all food in season, so let us make good vitamin C products available to you for your best health.

I think it is good to understand that for oranges, other foods, and herbs,it is the "powerful combinations of compounds" that make the better than selected constituents in standardized forms.

Hesperidin and rutin from whole fruit like oranges is excellent for helping your health when you have varicosities.

Citrus foods are good for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification.  Join us in 2011 for our year long focus on this very important topic. Most people do not understand the process and most products don't really do the best job.  There is much more to this than a quick colon cleanse.  Be ready to learn!

PROVO, Utah, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- What makes fruit so healthy is not one compound or another but how fruit compounds combine, a U.S. nutritionist says.
Tory Parker of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, says oranges, blueberries, strawberries and other fruits are so healthful because they contain powerful combinations of compounds. This is the reason why the whole orange is healthier than the orange's components taken separately.
"There's something about an orange that's better than taking a vitamin C capsule, and that's really what we're trying to figure out," Parker says in a statement."We think it's the particular mixture of antioxidants in an orange that makes it so good for you.
"Carbs and fat increase free radicals, and fruit and internal antioxidants counteract that -- that means fruit should be your desert," Parker says in a statement."We're looking for synergistic effects -- cases where the effect of two or more antioxidants together was stronger than the sum of them separately."
Parker and colleagues will be seeking patents for some of the identified combinations of antioxidants that were the most synergistic -- especially involving the compounds hesperidin and naringenin -- that seemed to contribute the most.
The findings are published in the Journal of Food Science.

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Posted in: Food Science,orange,vitamin C

TVA Coal Sludge and Health Risks

16 December, 2010 - Now, a problem with US manufactured dry wall in homes

UPDATE: 15 December, 2010 Federal failure on Chinese drywall

By Aaron Kessler and JOAQUIN SAPIEN, ProPublica

Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

( page of 11 )

For the thousands of U.S. homeowners who are grappling with the financial and emotional trauma caused by defective Chinese drywall, one thing is now clear: The federal government is woefully unequipped to help them with a product defect as expensive and widespread as this one.

June 11, 2010: US drywall now contains toxic coal ash 

From 2007 Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste: Burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation

See also: Mold problems and flooding: Lessons to be learned from Katrina

UPDATE: 9 April, 2010 - Judge Awards Families $2.6M Over Chinese Drywall

UPDATE: 3 April, 2010 - Feds: Homes with Chinese drywall must be gutted

UPDATE: 24 June, 2009 -

Public Not Allowed to Know Location of Hazardous Coal Ash Sites
by Environmental News Service (ENS)
EPA Withholds Locations of 'High Hazard' Coal Ash Sites

WASHINGTON, DC - There are 44 coal combustion waste sites nationwide that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as "high hazard," but the agency cannot make the locations of these hazardous sites public, Senator Barbara Boxer told reporters today. The California senator chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the federal environmental agency.
Complete Article...

This item was originally posted in December, 2008. It is re-posted now because of the dry wall issue.
UPDATE: 8 May

'Stinky' Drywall Imported From China Raises Health And Safety Concerns

ScienceDaily (2009-05-07) -- Homeowners throughout the United States are complaining of stinky odors, copper pipe and wire corrosion, and respiratory problems in an ongoing crisis that officials say is linked to drywall imported from China. ... > read full article

UPDATE: 18 April -
Fla. to test air in homes with Chinese drywall
UPDATE: 14 April -
Coal sludge and health risks apply to dry wall from China.
Thank you to Scott Patterson for letting me post his comments. He is in the business of home inspection.

Toxic Chinese Drywall might be in your home!

Over the past few months, owners of newer homes nationwide have been complaining of drywall that smells like rotten eggs. In several cases, they have had to leave their home because the smell was so bad. In addition to the putrid smell, many homeowners have reported problems with air conditioning and other systems that are likely related to the defective Chinese drywall. This is being called the next EIFS like disaster in the real estate market!

Many have spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars - to have air conditioning, pipes and wiring repaired. Usually, drywall is manufactured in the United States, but a shortage between 2004 and 2006 prompted many builders to buy drywall from China.

Most of the reported problems stem from drywall imported from China during the construction boom years of 2004-2005. Florida and the Gulf Coast states have been the first to report and have issue with this drywall showing up but it also showing up in non-coastal areas.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. of China, a subsidiary of German-based manufacturer Knauf, is the company at the focus of these drywall problems. If your newer home smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, you may have defective Chinese drywall. The problem is coming from coal ash that was mixed into the gypsum drywall compound. It appears that China was attempting to get rid of their coal ash problems by mixing it with the drywall compound. When the drywall is exposed to moisture, such as high humidity a chemical reaction starts. The result of this reaction is the production of Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfuric acid gas. This is the rotten egg smell that is present with the drywall.

This drywall is responsible for the destruction of the copper coils in HVAC units in the homes that it has been installed in. The corrosive off gassing is also responsible for damaging many other components in the homes from the copper electrical to the nails and screws that are holding everything together in the home.

If you think that you might have Chinese Drywall, you should contact a reputable home inspector who is familiar with this problem. If you need help locating an inspector just give me a call and I might know of a person in your area. As this new discovery is just starting to rear its ugly head, many are not aware of this problem. Call Scott Patterson at 615-302-113 if you have a problem or question.

The author of this informative notice is Scott Patterson. Scott is a nationally recognized home inspector who works out of the Nashville TN area and holds multiple state home inspector licenses. This may not be reproduced with out written permission from the author. Copyright 2009

See also -
Dusts From Drywall
Tainted Chinese Drywall
-------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: 2 January, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor has a very good article on this situation that points out the lax requirements dating back the the corporate influence in the Clinton Administration. Lax EPA regulations continued during the outgoing Bush regime. One issue similar to the Cataldo Mission toxic site is a waste repository being built with no liner. Obviously this is a major issue needing to be addressed by the newly elected administration.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The coal sludge ponds that failed, as reported in media reports recently, raise health issues. It is good to see that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is planning to test the water in the area hit by this flood of waste. And certainly it seems as if the damage done to peoples homes and lives is being addressed.

I work with a group that is in community that has been the victim of mine waste for over 100 years. The information I develop for them on health is shared with other groups who are dealing with the impact of mining waste.

In the news stories there has been mention that the coal waste is radioactive. Coal waste also leaves arsenic in the water as well as the possibility for other heavy metal leaching.

TVA would be well advised to supply all those harmed in this tragedy with high quality vitamin C and iodine products. Additionally, a very specific product containing both vitamin C and specialized essences of garlic (equal to 35 cloves of the full spectrum of garlic's benefits) is appropriate.

Vitamin C is an excellent chelator and will help remove heavy metal waste from the body. Garlic is a heavy metal chelator as well and it offers other protective support for health. Iodine, such as Iosol or professional products like Prolamine Iodine, even adding the sea vegetables to one's diet, works to reduce the impact of radioactivity.

For more information on clean-up concerns please see Silver Valley Action.

Spill may have permanently altered Tenn. communityBy KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Writer Tue Dec 30, 3:17 am ET

KINGSTON, Tenn. – A week after more than a billion gallons of coal ash broke through a retention pond dike and roared into a small river cove, the landscape has turned into a muddy pit that's little like the scenic spot that attracted people to live here.

The Emory River is clogged with giant chunks of gray ash sticking out of the water and trees ripped out by their roots and washed downstream during the Dec. 22 disaster. Ducks float in a film of sand-like residue on the surface. Dozens of pieces of heavy equipment are digging along the river to try to clean it of coal ash.

The Kingston Steam Plant, a coal-fired power plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, sits on the confluence of two rivers, about 35 miles west of Knoxville.

The deluge destroyed three houses, displaced a dozen families and damaged 42 parcels of land, but there were no serious injuries.

There are 62 pieces of heavy machinery slowly gathering up the spilled ash from residential roads, railroad tracks and the river, plant manager Ron Hall said Monday.

But no one at TVA can say how long the cleanup will take and how thorough the restoration can be.

"It's almost like someone dying, because it's so permanent," said Crystell Flinn, whose home was swept away.

Hall said workers will pull the sludge out of the river using barges and skimmers, and dump trucks will carry it to a different site at the plant. But the material won't return to the large riverside retention ponds still there.

"We will not likely put in wet ash ponds again, even though they have shown to be structurally integral," TVA environmental executive Anda Ray said Monday. "We are looking at options for what to do long term for that ash disposal, but there are dry ash pond technologies."

In the days after the spill, officials are finding more reasons to be concerned about the possible harmful long-term effects. Federal officials on Monday cautioned residents who use private wells or springs to stop drinking the water.

But the area isn't densely populated, and TVA said that no more than four wells are in the spill area.

Samples taken near the spill slightly exceed drinking water standards for toxic substances, and arsenic in one sample was higher than the maximum level allowed for drinking water, according to a press release from TVA, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies.

Federal officials should have tests on the affected wells sometime this week.

"I think they (the wells) were beyond the actual slide point of the material," EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles said. "There shouldn't be direct impact, but that's why they are sampling."

Authorities have said the municipal water supply is safe to drink.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment, but elevated levels can cause ailments ranging from nausea to partial paralysis, and long-term exposure has been linked to several types of cancer, according to the EPA.

Ray said arsenic levels were high because of the type of measurement that the EPA used, which included soil mixed in with water.

"Those samples were not dissolved arsenic," Ray said. "The dissolved arsenic, which is what you look at for drinking water samples, are undetectable in all the cases. The elevated arsenic that the EPA is referring to is the data that we collected when it was stirred up. It is routinely filtered out through all water treatment plants."

Environmental concerns could shift when the sludge containing the fly ash, a fine powdery material, dries out. The EPA and TVA have begun air monitoring and on Monday advised people to avoid activities that could stir up dust, such as children or pets playing outside.

The dust can contain metals, including arsenic, that irritate the skin and can aggravate pre-existing conditions like asthma, Niles said.

The EPA recommends that anyone exposed to the dust should wash thoroughly with soap and water and wash the affected clothes separately from other garments.

Ray said TVA will start installing sprinkler systems in areas where the ash has dried out to keep it moist.

Knoxville-based TVA supplies electricity to Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press

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Posted in: 2009,arsenic,Bush,Clinch Mountain,Clinton,coal waste,EPA lax regulations,failed storage pond,health,heavy metal,iodine,lead,radioactivie waste,TVA,vitamin C

Your Health & Just How It IS Supposed To Be!

Navigating the labyrinth of the medical establishment can be extraordinarily difficult, especially in the current climate of health care uncertainty.

Dr. Levy on Vitamin C

Oct 28, 2006

Dr Thomas Levy, a doctor from Colorado, has painstakingly reviewed all of the research in his book Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins: Curing the Incurable. Here, he tells me of the true proven power of vitamin C. ...

and from  today

Vitamin C And The Law
A Personal Viewpoint by Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D.

(OMNS November 11, 2010) As a patient, you have the right to any therapy that is not prohibitively expensive, established to be effective, and not prohibitively toxic.

Any physician, or panel of hospital-based physicians, claiming that vitamin C is experimental, unapproved, and/or posing unwarranted risks to the health of the patient, is really only demonstrating a complete and total ignorance or denial of the scientific literature. A serious question as to what the real motivations might be in the withholding of such a therapy then arises.

A doctor has the right to refuse to see you or treat you. A doctor does not have the right to deny you any therapy that is inexpensive and known to be effective and nontoxic; if there is toxicity involved, the patient can discharge his responsibility for such toxicity with proper informed consent. A doctor does not have the right to deny you consultation with another doctor that may have conflicting medical points of view.

Just as ignorance of the law is no sound defense to legal charges brought against you, ignorance of medical fact is ultimately no sound defense for a doctor withholding valid treatment, especially when that information can be easily accessed.

While a hospital may or may not have a legal right to dictate to its physicians what they may or may not do, the patient and the family of the patient have the legal right to sue that hospital for any negative outcome that is perceived to directly result from such interference in patient care.

The patient and the family of the patient also have the right to sue any physician that refuses to administer an inexpensive, nontoxic therapy that is established to be of use in the medical literature, such as vitamin C, especially when no other options other than permitting the patient to die are offered. Doctors have a very strong herd mentality, and they do not thrive well when forced to deal with a lawsuit alone, and possibly not even with the backup of their malpractice insurance company, which would seriously question why an approved medicine such as vitamin C was withheld from the patient. Remember that any insurance company always looks for a legal way not to pay expenses or settlements.

In a court of law, legal decisions regarding medical issues are usually decided by comparing a doctor's actions (or inactions) to the accepted standards of medical practice in the community in question. The legal sticking points relate to how different that community might be from others, and whether the accepted standard of practice is too far deviated from overall mainstream medicine norms.

The legal system struggles with reconciling something well-established in the medical literature, but not reflected in the standard medical textbooks. A case involving withheld vitamin C would not currently have any direct legal precedent of which I am aware, but there are multiple reasons to believe that the time is ripe for the law to rule for the patient's right to receive vitamin C in the hospital over the doctor's "right" to withhold it.

The time for changing the view of vitamin C by the law and mainstream medicine has arrived. Over the past 20 years, many more doctors have begun to routinely give 50 grams (50,000 mg) or more of vitamin C intravenously on a regular basis to patients with the entire gamut of medical conditions. These doctors have come from the same medical schools and postgraduate training programs as their unlike-minded mainstream counterparts, meaning they have the same traditional credentials and warrant equal consideration.

The law recognizes that there is no one perfect medical approach to a patient. Having an increasingly large body of doctors who recognize the importance of vitamin C will allow the courts to permit an additional "school of thought" as long as enough traditionally-trained doctors think that way. The question yet to be legally determined is, How many such doctors is "enough?"

Under United States law, the long-standing Frye standard (1923) held that expert opinion based on a scientific technique is admissible only where the technique is generally accepted as reliable in the relevant scientific community. This standard made it almost impossible for any technique embraced by a minority, however competent or appropriately trained, to ever coexist with, much less supersede, a technique embraced by the larger scientific community. Basically, majority always wins, and minority always loses.

The Daubert standard (1993) finally replaced the Frye standard. Daubert held that the court should:

1. Evaluate whether the science can be or has been tested
2. Determine whether the science has been published or peer-reviewed
3. Consider the likelihood of error (quality and quantity of the data)
4. Evaluate the general acceptance of the theory in the scientific community

If the court is so inclined, the evaluation of general acceptance in the scientific (medical) community does not have to invoke the "majority rules" nature of the earlier Frye standard. Rather, it can allow the consideration that enough scientific studies embraced by enough qualified doctors could prevail legally. However, any final ruling would be heavily dependent on the particular facts of the case and the precise intervention requested of the court.

The principles of Daubert do not assure a victory for vitamin C proponents in a court of law, but they do allow an objective judge to see that the body of evidence supporting vitamin C usage is clearly established in the mainstream medical literature, warranting a thorough legal evaluation as to why it is not yet a permissible therapy. These principles allow for much more flexibility than the earlier Frye "majority rules" standard.

Also, with any individual case in which a doctor refuses to administer vitamin C and serious damage (including death) occurs, a strong legal case can be now be made that the burden of proof falls with the doctor to show:

1. That the therapy was exceptionally expensive, toxic, and/or unproven
2. That the patient's best interests were somehow best served by withholding vitamin C

Always try to make an alliance with your doctor and avoid an adversarial relationship if at all possible. Theoretically, if your doctor really wants to do what is best for the patient and is not more concerned with being told what to do, much stress and conflict can be avoided by all. However, do not hesitate to let your doctor know directly that you will avail yourself of all your rights or your family member's rights as a patient to optimal health care if so forced.
A very common "out" in all of these scenarios is to suggest that "further studies" should be done. More information is always useful, but vitamin C has already been researched more than any other supplement, or even most pharmaceutical drugs, in the history of the planet. Don't allow another 70 years of research to transpire before its proper use begins.

Stand up for your rights today. The way medicine is practiced will never change until the public demands it and the law legitimizes it. Remember, it's your body and your health. Doctors are answerable to you, not you to them.

Thomas Edward Levy, M.D., J.D. is a graduate of the Tulane University School of Medicine and the University of Denver College of Law. He board certified in Internal Medicine and is also a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1998 and the District of Columbia Bar in 1999. Dr. Levy is on the Editorial Board of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service.

References:
Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1923)
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993)
An expanded version of "Vitamin C and the Law" by Dr. Levy is available as a free pdf download at http://www.tomlevymd.com/downloads/VC.NZ.Sept.2010.pdf

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org
The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.

several of 20+ re: Vitamin C and Dr. Levy from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: IV Vitamin C: Help for Cancer, Learn More

Aug 19, 2010

Patrick Holford notes that in his June 2005 newsletter he interviewed Dr Thomas Levy, who has provided the definitive proof in his book ' Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins: Curing the Incurable'. ...

Natural Health News: High Dose Vitamin C : SAFE

Jul 20, 2010

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/12/vitamin-c-and-healing-disease.html http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/06/vitamin-c-facts.html http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2006/10/dr-levy-on-vitamin-c.html ...

Natural Health News: SWINE FLU PRECAUTIONS

Apr 28, 2009

UPDATE: 10 August - Since this article was posted in April we have added numerous articles regarding this issue so please that the time to look for these new and important posts: Search for Flu, Swine Flu, Vitamin C, Dr. Levy, FluMist, ...

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Posted in: Dr Thomas Levy,health rights,law,vitamin C

High Dose Vitamin C : SAFE

"Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects," Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, et al, PLoS One, 2010; 5(7): e11414. (Address: Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America).

In a study designed to assess the use and safety of high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C administration by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, the authors found that a) high-dose IV vitamin C is widely used by CAM practitioners, most commonly in the treatment of patients with infection, cancer, or fatigue; and b) aside from already known complications of IV vitamin C in patients with renal impairment or glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, high-dose IV vitamin C use was found to be "remarkably safe." Of 199 practitioners who responded to a survey, 172 administered IV vitamin C to their patients, totaling 11,233 in the year 2006 and 8,876 in the year 2008. On average, the dose administered was 28 grams every 4 days, with a total of 22 treatments per patient. Data from 9,328 patients was available, and of these patients, 101 were found to have mostly minor side effects including lethargy/fatigue in 59 patients, change in mental sta tus in 21 patients, and vein irritation/phlebitis in 6 patients. Regarding serious adverse events, the authors found that there had been 2 deaths, both in patients known to be at risk for IV vitamin C. The authors conclude, "Physicians should inquire about IV vitamin C use in patients with cancer, chronic, untreatable, or intractable conditions and be observant of unexpected harm, drug interactions, or benefit."

Reference these and other vitamin C related posts from Natural Health News -

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/12/vitamin-c-and-healing-disease.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/06/vitamin-c-facts.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2006/10/dr-levy-on-vitamin-c.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/iv-vitamin-c-saves-man-with-flu-damaged.htmlhttp://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/vitamin-c-cancer-study-challenged.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/vitamin-c-effective-in-reducing.html

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Posted in: cancer,intravenous vitamin C,IV Vitamin C,vitamin C

Health Concerns for Gulf Coast Residents

6/24/10   More now on the oil spill and health

Photo by: David Rencher


5/26 UPDATE: Louisiana Shrimp Association has spill updates
Heat Stroke reported as a health risk to cleanup workers.  Heat Stoke can impact kidney function and cause other serious health problems.

Clint Guidry, of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, has accused BP of threatening to sack workers who turn up wearing respirators. The oil firm said it was not aware of any workers being turned away, but noted that it was the responsibility of the Obama administration to decide whether such protective gear was warranted.
EPA tests indicate that the combined effect of dispersants and crude oil are even more toxic than individually. "There are dispersants being applied by aeroplane and by boat, and these people on the water are being sprayed over and over again...read more

Original post -

With the issue of toxic exposure to the oil dispersant and oil from the explosion, it would be timely to consider the use of vitamin C, at least 3000 mg a day, and milk thistle to help keep your liver functioning in its important work of detoxification.

If you would like more information about proper detoxification please contact us. Anyone working on the clean-up will also benefit from this information.

OIL CLEAN UP OPTION

Prince William Sound 21 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster -
20,000 gallons of oil still remains along 20,000 miles of shoreline in Alaska.

Corexit was utilized.  More than 19 months after treatment the toxins still were evident in the area. 

Congenital heart disease was found in subsequent generations of animal life following the use of Corexit. 

In the Gulf, a major impact will be on Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna as well as other marine life (read more about shrimp, link above).

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Posted in: detoxification,Gulf oil spill,liver toxicity,Luisiana Shrimpers Assn,milk thistle,oil dispersants,shrimp,vitamin C

Pollen Problems

APRIL 26: More to consider when dealing with allergies -

Why Your Allergies Are Getting Worse
This Mother Jones article points a finger at "warming". I'm still out on the "warming" issue but a related concern that does include "warming" of a different color is the impact on your allergies, including your lungs and respiratory system, is that cause by EMF and sell phone or wi-fi use.
When you are in the circle of radiation, whether it is your cell phone or that of an inconsiderate person talking or texting, or using a wireless laptop within 6 feet of you (or some one else) your allergies will get worse.
For all those who believe EMF is not a risk, then why is it that the electrostatic (magnetic)field created by these gadgets causes particulate matter in your environment to adhere to the lining of your nose, and eventually your lungs?
This is sort of basic science I learned early-on from Mr. Wizard, years before middle school science.
Remember that trick about rubbing a balloon on your clothes and seeing it stick to something else? Well, here you have it!

Refer to this post FMI
ORIGINAL POST: 9 APRIL -
I was an allergic kid and still have problems with mold and grass. When I lived in Western Washington the Scotch Broom was a real irritant.

I understand how problematic allergy can be.

I also understand how it is not necessary to use Claritin, Nasonex, or Bendryl to address the problems, as the drugs create issues of their own.

To me short term relief is not worth the price of longterm undermining of natural protective mechanisms of your body. Eventually your health pays the price.

Claritin for children contains some artificial sweeteners that have serious health impact.

Nasonex is a steroidal spray that displaces the natural reaction of your body to block the irritant, which in this case is the pollen.

Benadryl makes you really sleepy and eventually it has no effect on the problem, and it contains - again - in the children's from, a toxic artificial sweetener and artificial flavor and color.

Please go to
http://www.leaflady.org/allergy.htm
http://www.leaflady.org/aaah-chooo_oh_my.htm
http://www.leaflady.org/notes_on_nettle.htm

and use the search function to locate the many articles we have on Natural Health News about vitamin C - the great natural anti-histamine that supports your adrenals - and also refer to Vitamin C Health Benefits, http://leaflady.org/blog2004.htm

Bee Pollen http://www.leaflady.org/bee_benefits.htm
Honey http://www.leaflady.org/honey.htm

I also like the OLBAS Inhaler as it can do wonders, even leading to reduced reaction to allergens, especially those irritating the upper respiratory system.

And, oh yes, perhaps it is too many vaccines that suppress immunity so you, and certainly small children, have a tough time because they've become hyper-reactive.

Achoo! Pollen at its worst in years in many areas
By TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Pollen: It's on your car, in the air and especially in your sinuses.

From Florida to Texas to Colorado, 2010 is shaping up to be a monster of an allergy season. The words "pollen" and "allergy" are among the top 10 trending topics on Twitter in several U.S. cities. Everywhere, it seems, is covered in a fine yellow dust that irritates our lives. Experts say it's the worst they've seen in years.

"It's wicked bad this year," said Dr. Mona Mangat, an allergy specialist in St. Petersburg, Fla., who can't recall a worse year in the six she's worked there. "We're just overwhelmed with patients right now. We're double- and triple-booked with new patients, trying to work people in because we know how much people are suffering."

And they are suffering a lot. Take 5-year-old Sam Wilson of St. Petersburg. His mom gives him Claritin in the morning, Nasonex and Benadryl at night, and he receives four allergy shots every week. The sidewalks of his hometown are covered in what look like piles of dried, brown worms — but they are mounds of oak tree pollen.

The boy's mother said that when the pollen is at its worst, his eyes water and itch, he can't breathe through his nose and his throat burns.

"His reaction yesterday was pretty bad," said his mother, 34-year-old Joanna Wilson on Thursday. "He couldn't breathe, he was completely congested, and crying."

Oak trees are the culprit in many places in the Southeast.

The trees produce 3,000 to 6,000 pollen particles per cubic meter; it only takes 10 particles to trigger an allergic reaction.

J.P. Levins, executive Web producer for the site pollen.com, said he's received a lot of e-mails from suffering Floridians — but he expects more complaints from other parts of the U.S. soon.

"The season is actually just picking up," he said, adding that most of the country is facing high pollen counts.

This year is especially bad in the Southeast, weather experts say, probably due to winter's unseasonably cold weather.

"That may have helped delay some of the plants from blooming as early as they may have wanted to," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. "It's the fact that everything is coming out all at once."

High winds in some areas also spread the misery.

"We had a perfect storm this year," said Dr. William Storms, professor at University of Colorado and a clinician. "It's the worst I've seen in 10 years."

Tree pollen season should subside within a few weeks, but experts say some will continue to suffer because grass and weed allergies rise in the summer months.

Read more »

Posted in: allergy,nettle,pollen,vitamin C

Vitamin A and Arsenic Effectively Treat Leukemia, Also Vitamin C

UPDATE: 27 March 2010 - In 1974 the US Cancer Institute presented scientific papers on the findings that Vitamin A was effective  in preventing cancer as well as preventing cellular proliferation.  Additionally, later in 1974 other scientific papers reported that vitamin A is definitively an anti-cancer supplement offering cellular protection and offers protection from malignant growth.  The scientist found that vitamin A reversed the cellular damage caused by the carcinogen and it helps your body's defense mechanism to destroy cancer cells.  This is definitely a substance that offers protection against and reversal of cancers according to the findings.

One must ask exactly what is behind the major effort against using nutritional supplements in the prevention and treatment of cancer today.

UPDATE: 31 March: Vitamin C for Leukemia

Get your copy of CHI's Vitamin C Healthy Handout with your tax deductible donation to learn how to do high dose vitamin C therapy at home.
---------------------------
ORIGINALLY POSTED 17 FEB 09
This is a very interesting report because it offers an option that is less toxic than standard chemotherapy. It also shows that vitamins are effective and helpful in cancer care.

Leukemia patients treated with arsenic, vitamin A
"The treatment was effective ... and worked better than either drug given alone."
Mon Feb 16, 2009
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Doctors appear to have safely and successfully treated patients with cancer of the blood and bone marrow with a combination of arsenic and vitamin A, according to long-term study in China.

In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the doctors said they prescribed the regimen to 85 patients and monitored them for an average of 70 months.

Of these, 80 patients went into complete remission and the researchers did not find any associated long-term problems in their heart or lungs and there was no development of secondary cancers.

"Two years after their treatment, the patients had arsenic blood and urine levels well below safety limits, and only slightly higher than controls," they wrote.

"The treatment was effective ... and worked better than either drug given alone."

The authors recommended that the treatment be given to patients with blood and bone marrow cancer, or acute promyelocytic Leukemia.

While vitamin A is regarded by some experts as a viable treatment, this is the first time that its use has been monitored for such an extended period of time.

Since the 18th century, arsenic compounds have been used as medicines to treat certain ailments. The US Food and Drug Administration approved it for the treatment of people with blood and bone marrow cancer in 2000.

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Read more »

Posted in: 2009,American Cancer Society,arsenic,health news,leukemia,natural cancer care,natural health news,natural news,vitamin A,vitamin C

Natural Cures for Clinton's Maladies

Now that we have been bombarded with Bill Clinton's health status for the last two days, I wonder just how many people won't get the kind of health care he has had during this time. It is something to think about as AP's Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer, writes that he "...has a new lease on life, but there's no cure for the heart disease that has twice forced the former president to get blocked arteries fixed."

Clinton's taking anti-clotting medication which has long term problems of its own and he was admonished for stopping cholesterol medication. Of course it wasn't considered that cholesterol medication doesn't do too much for atherosclerosis, and nutritional depletion from the drugs was not even mentioned.

There may be no medical cure, but certainly we know that nature cures.

In case Bill reads this while he's recovering in Chappaqua, he'd do well to research the benefits of garlic, cayenne, vitamins B-C-E, and lecithin and how these natural supplements would actually lead to better prevention and cure.

We'd like his doctors to do the same.

FMI:Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage.

Lecithin from HEALTH MATTERS

Bruce Ames

Read more »

Posted in: atherosclerosis,B Vitamins,Bill Clinton,cayenne,garlic,Health Matters,lecithin,natural remedies,prevent plaque build up with vitamins,vitamin C,vitamin E

Vitamin C and Healing Disease

Perhaps Linus Pauling was too far ahead of his time -

Vitamin C is key to creating stem cells
Vitamin C could be used to overcome hurdles in creating stem cells for treating human diseases, scientists believe.
 
Published: 24 Dec 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6878565/Vitamin-C-is-key-to-creating-stem-cells.html

The vitamin boosts the reprogramming of adult cells to give them the properties of embryonic stem cells.

Scientists who made the discovery believe it may help them overcome long-standing problems in creating the reprogrammed cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

IPSCs offer a solution to the ethical problems involved in producing embryonic stem cells with the potential to become any kind of human tissue, from bone to brain.

Embryonic stem cells have to be extracted by cannibalising early stage embryos obtained from fertility clinics. IPSCs, on the other hand, are made in the laboratory from ordinary adult cells by altering their genes.

Many experts believe iPSCs are the future of stem cell medicine, since they behave in a similar way to embryonic stem cells and are also capable of developing into a wide range of tissues.

The conversion of ordinary cells into iPSCs is highly inefficient and difficult to achieve. Often the cells age prematurely and stop dividing or may die, a process known as senescence.

Adding vitamin C to the cell cultures was found to hold back senescence and make reprogramming much more efficient.

Experiments with both mouse and human cells showed that the vitamin accelerated genetic changes and boosted the transition to a reprogrammed state.

Dr Duanqing Pei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, who led the research, said: ''The low efficiency of the reprogramming process has hampered progress with this technology and is indicative of how little we understand it.

''Further, this process is most challenging in human cells, raising a significant barrier for producing iPSCs and serious concerns about the quality of the cells that are generated.

''Our results highlight a simple way to improve iPSC generation and provide additional insight into the mechanistic basis of reprogramming.

''It is also of interest that a vitamin with long-suspected anti-ageing effects has such a potent influence on reprogramming, which can be considered a reversal of the ageing process at the cellular level. It is likely that our work may stimulate further research in this area as well.''

The research is published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Vitamin C's powerful antioxidant properties may be the reason why it assists cell programming, the scientists believe.

The vitamin neutralises damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are believed to hamper the generation of iPSCs.

But this cannot be the whole story, since other antioxidants do not appear to have the same effect.

Read more »

Posted in: Linus Pauling,stem cells,vitamin C

MRSA - Alternative Cure For 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria

UPDATE: 26 December 2009 -

A new study reports a surge in drug-resistant strains of a dangerous type of bacteria in US hospitals: Acinetobacter strikes patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and others and often causes severe pneumonias or bloodstream infection, some of which are now resistant to imipenem, an antibiotic that is reserved for last-line treatment. 

Read Complete Story - New Strain of Resistant Bacteria Reported

I'm not sure how many times we have to read similar articles over the 16 years I have been involved in this issue in me effort to get some repsonse from MS medicine and MS media, while thousands suffer or die.

Once again I'm posting my challenge, a repost originally from August 2006.  I'm expecting a response, as I usually do. 

"How many times...? "as the song goes.

Alternative Cure For 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria
From Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, CRNP, ND, Creating Health Institute
4-8-5

A CHALLENGE TO MAINSTREAM MEDICINE TO VENTURE OUTSIDE THE BOX

Reported today by Gene Emery of Reuters, flesh-eating bacteria is once again making headlines.

Emery reports, according to Loren Miller of UCLA Medical Center and Scott Fridkin of the CDC, that skin infections are now found outside hospital and include a new strain of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Emery writes that doctors need to be aware of this and "switch to different antibiotics at the first sign of trouble."

He quotes Fridkin saying that "the alarm does need to be raised to people and clinicians that if you have a staph infection and it's not getting better, you'd better go back to your doctor." Later reports on findings from Miller's team saying that "doctors must shift their attitudes toward cases of necrotizing fasciitis -- the "flesh-eating" part of such a bacterial infection -- and check to see if methicillin-resistant staph is to blame."

Almost a decade ago, when flesh-eating bacteria were beginning to be reported, I called upon my experience as an intensive care nurse and manager of a burn center. I wanted to address this serious health problem from a natural healing perspective because I knew of the decades old problem with antibiotics that were not effectively treating the condition.

Emery's article further defines the problem of antibiotic resistance.

Consulting with a colleague of mine from the herbal traditions of Korea who spent a number of years at Dana Farber Institute at Harvard, I developed a protocol using a combination of his formulas that could be used for this condition. I submitted a package to a Washington State Department of Health researcher with clinical findings on the use of the formulas.

Time has passed quickly, yet at no time did I ever receive a reply, or even a glimmer of thought from this man about the possibility of a trial.

In response to a public health problem, I believed my approach deserved consideration because people were dying.

Subsequently, during the past decade I have responded to numerous media reports of flesh-eating bacteria, asking only for consideration. The closed minds locked in the Newtonian model prevalent in mainstream medicine never once gave consideration to a different way of seeing.

In addition to the herbal protocol I developed a series of fully referenced papers using pure essential oils to attack these bacteria. One of the texts I used as a reference is a medical textbook written by two French physicians. In France physicians are educated in the use of herbs and essential oils as therapeutic modalities.

Essential oils have a very long history and several have very effective anti-bacterial and anti-fungal capacity. Herbs used throughout thousands of years have this same capacity as well.

Seriously hoping to at least have one response, I am saddened to say that not one reply has ever been received.

One would now have to ask the question: What drives these health professionals to so totally disregard non-traditional treatment possibilities?

Today, I am placing my challenge on the table.

Doctors, if you are truly interested in treating and curing this problem, my protocols await.

NB: In early 2006 I was able to connect a research physician at Georgetown Medical School who is doing invetigation 'outside the box'. He advised me that "mainstream medicine is not ready to accept this." Of course, I do understand his comment but I have to wonder about the unwillingness to change and the cost of lives!

Related posts, 2 of about 2 dozen other similar articles in Natural Health News
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2006/08/mrsa.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2007/10/it-isnt-stopping-and-you-need-to-get.html
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UPDATE: 11 January 2009 - A new product, Allicin-C, and Alli-Derm, add to your anti-MRSA arsenal. Purchase via our link in the right column.
------------------------------------------
More than 10 years ago this issue was repeatedly reported in the press. More than 30 years ago this was an issue discussed often by medical practitioners such as me. Thirty plus years ago doctors used to test anti-biotics in a test called 'C & S' (culture and sensitivity) not utilized too much today.

Mainstream medicine refuses to take my challenge, previously possted on this BLOG. I have added it in below for ease of reference. Maybe now someone might take a chance. Nothing to lose, and maybe save some lives along the way!...

Maybe intravenous high dose vitamin c might be tried. And at least you know this would not hurt you. This treatment saved a client of mine from liver and kidney transplant. Interferon treatments did not work and she developed liver and kidney failure. UW docs were baffled, yet they wouldn't ask...

Wash any suspicious area with pure soap and water and allow to dry thoroughly. Using specific pure essential oils will be very effective in treating and resolving this problem. Above all avoid the use of anti-bacterial soaps. These contain Triclosan and will kill off naturally occurring bacteria on your skin that serves to protect you from infection.

Many non-effective anti-biotics are on the market today and some of these have very serious side effects. Avoid fluoride based products for this reason.

Make sure you ask your doctor what kind of treatment is being prescribed. It is your right to know under the law.

Staph skin infections on rise in U.S.
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer

A once-rare drug-resistant germ now appears to cause more than half of all skin infections treated in U.S. emergency rooms, say researchers who documented the superbug's startling spread in the general population.

Many victims mistakenly thought they just had spider bites that wouldn't heal, not drug-resistant staph bacteria. Only a decade ago, these germs were hardly ever seen outside of hospitals and nursing homes.

Doctors also were caught off-guard — most of them unwittingly prescribed medicines that do not work against the bacteria.

"It is time for physicians to realize just how prevalent this is," said Dr. Gregory Moran of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, who led the study.

Another author, Dr. Rachel Gorwitz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "I think no one was aware of the extent of the problem."

Skin infections can be life-threatening if bacteria get into the bloodstream. Drug-resistant strains can also cause a vicious type of pneumonia and even "flesh-eating" wounds.

The CDC paid for the study, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. Several authors have consulted for companies that make antibiotics.

Researchers analyzed all skin infections among adults who went to hospital emergency rooms in 11 U.S. cities in August 2004. Of the 422 cases, 249, or 59 percent, were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Such bacteria are impervious to the penicillin family of drugs long used for treatment.

The proportion of infections due to MRSA ranged from 15 percent to as high as 74 percent in some hospitals.

"This completely matches what our experience at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital has been," said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious-disease specialist whose hospital was not included in the study. "Usually what we see is a mom or dad brings their child in with what they describe as a spider bite that's not getting better or a pimple that's not getting better," and it turns out to be MRSA.

The germ typically thrives in health-care settings where people have open wounds and tubes. But in recent years, outbreaks have occurred among prisoners, children and athletes, with the germ spreading through skin contact or shared items such as towels. Dozens of people in Ohio, Kentucky and Vermont recently got MRSA skin infections from tattoos.

The good news: MRSA infections contracted outside a hospital are easier to treat. The study found that several antibiotics work against them, including some sulfa drugs that have been around for decades. A separate study in the journal reports the effectiveness of Cubicin, an antibiotic recently approved to treat bloodstream infections and heart inflammation caused by MRSA.

However, doctors need to test skin infections to see what germ is causing them, and to treat each one as if it were MRSA until test results prove otherwise, researchers said.

"We have made a fundamental shift in pediatrics in our area" and now assume that every such case is the drug-resistant type, Creech said.

And, doctors need to lance the wound to get rid of bacteria rather than relying on a drug to do the job.

"The most important treatment is actually draining the pus," Gorwitz said. Many times that is a cure all by itself, she said.

The study was done in Albuquerque, N.M.; Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; and Portland, Ore.

Read more »

Posted in: Alli-Derm,Allicin-C,essential oils,garlic,health news,independent health news,intravenous vitamin C,MRSA,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,vitamin C

Another Indication That Women Aren't Getting the Facts

Please note that this report was filed three years ago and it is only one indication that more likely than not women haven't been provided with this important information.

More about Vitamin D can be found here and you may contact us for Vitamin D testing too.

And considering that Vitamin D3 and Vitamin C can be useful in attacking breast cancer, in prevention, and also for fighting against the flu, it may be worth you while to act proactively for your health.

We believe that the level of vitamin D should be more than the 32 noted in the second article in this post.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2006) — Vitamin D may help curb breast cancer progression, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

The authors, from Imperial College London, measured the levels of vitamin D in the blood serum of 279 women with invasive breast cancer. The disease was in its early stages in 204 of the women, and advanced in the remaining 75.

The results showed that women with early stage disease had significantly higher levels of vitamin D (15 to 184 mmol/litre) than the women in the advanced stages of the disease (16 to 146 mmol/litre).

The authors say that the exact reasons for the disparity are not clear, nor is it known whether the lowered levels of vitamin D among those with advanced disease are a cause or a consequence of the cancer itself. However, the researchers' results, taken together with results from previous studies, lead them to believe that lowered levels of vitamin D may promote the progression of the disease to its advanced stages.

Laboratory studies have shown that vitamin D stops cancer cells from dividing and enhances cancer cell death. Vitamin D sufficiency and exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The body produces its own vitamin D in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. The vitamin is also found in certain foods, including eggs and fatty fish.

It is known that vitamin D treatment boosts the activity of certain key genes and dampens it down in others. One that is boosted is p21, which has an important role in controlling the cell cycle.

Dr Carlo Palmieri, from the department of cancer medicine at Imperial College London and lead author on the paper, said: "This report, while being an observational study, clearly shows that circulating vitamin D levels are lower in advanced breast cancer as compared to early breast cancer. It lends support to the idea that vitamin D has a role in the progression of breast cancer.

"The next step in this research is to try and understand the potential causes and mechanisms underlying these differences and the precise consequences at a molecular level. We also need to look at the potential clinical implications of monitoring and maintaining high circulating vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients. By answering these questions we may be able to improve the treatment of women with breast cancer," he added.

Adapted from materials provided by Imperial College London.
Imperial College London (2006, October 17). New Study Gives Further Hope That Vitamin D Can Fight Breast Cancer. ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/10/061017084854.htm

Now we have yet another study reporting much the same information three years later. If you have breast cancer, has anyone suggested that you get the proper test for Vitamin D and encourage you to use it? Please let us know.

Women With Breast Cancer Have Low Vitamin D Levels
ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2009) — Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In a study of 166 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, nearly 70 percent had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to a study being presented Thursday, Oct. 8, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco. The analysis showed women with late-stage disease and non-Caucasian women had even lower levels.

"Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health, and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It's important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake," said Luke Peppone, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, at Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program research base in Rochester.

Scientists funded by the NCI analyzed vitamin D levels in each woman, and the average level was 27 nanograms per milliliter; more than two-thirds of the women had vitamin deficiency. Weekly supplementation with high doses of vitamin D -- 50,000 international units or more -- improved the levels, according to Peppone's study.

The U.S. Institute of Medicine suggests that blood levels nearing 32 nanograms per milliliter are adequate.

This problem is not unexpected, Peppone said, because previous studies have shown that nearly half of all men and women are deficient in the nutrient, with vitamin D levels below 32 nanograms per milliliter. Vitamin D, obtained from milk, fortified cereals and exposure to sunlight, is well known to play an essential role in cell growth, in boosting the body's immune system and in strengthening bones.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include muscle pain, weak bones/fractures, low energy and fatigue, lowered immunity, symptoms of depression and mood swings, and sleep irregularities, many of which are common for women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center.
University of Rochester Medical Center (2009, October 10). Women With Breast Cancer Have Low Vitamin D Levels. ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/10/091009090431.htm

Read more »

Posted in: breast cancer awareness,immune health,natural health news,prevent breast cancer,vitamin C,Vitamin D,vitamin D test,vitamin deficiency

Ditto

Thanks to my colleague Dr. Carolyn Dean for saying the same thing I tell my clients-

Old Fashioned Vitamin C: These days, new wonder herbs, super-nutrients and “celebrity” supplements take center stage while the basics get ignored. Vitamin C is essential not just for your immune system but also for your body's ability to deal with stress. Today's fruits and vegetables don't offer the same quality and quantity of Vitamin C they did "back in the day."

This coincides with recent articles I sent out from @hebalYODA about how even organic fruits and vegetables are so low in nutrients today.

And of related interest.

Read more »

Posted in: vitamin C

Vitamin C or Tamiflu, which would you choose

Vitamin C can be affordable, C 1000, 250 pills, 12 cents per pill.

Patrick Holford notes that in his June 2005 newsletter he interviewed Dr Thomas Levy, who has provided the definitive proof in his book ‘ Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins: Curing the Incurable’.

"He is one of the world’s experts in effects of vitamin C on viruses. Here’s what he says “I have not found any flu virus for which vitamin C does not exert a virucidal effect, as long as enough vitamin C reaches the virus, such as in any acute infection. I don’t know about Tamiflu, but the vitamin C is virtually devoid of negative side effects.”

Although I know of no studies yet published specifically treating swine flu with vitamin C, immune expert Dr Robert Cathcart, who has treated thousands of cases of life threatening infectious diseases with high dose vitamin C says “Treatment of the bird flu with massive doses of ascorbate would be the same as any other flu except that the severity of the disease indicates that it may take unusually massive doses of ascorbic acid orally or even intravenous sodium ascorbate. I have not seen any flu yet that was not cured or markedly ameliorated by massive doses of vitamin C but it is possible that the bird flu may require even higher doses.”

Antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), work by inhibiting something called neuraminidase, produced by viruses and essential for their ability to replicate. So too does vitamin C according to recent research. This study tested the effects of a combination of ascorbic acid, green tea extract, lysine, proline, N-acetyl cysteine, selenium among other micronutrients on cells infected with influenza. This combination was also tested in a study on cells infected with bird flu, in many respects similar to swine flu. According to the authors the nutrient mixture “demonstrated high antiviral activity evident even at prolonged periods after infection. Antiviral properties were comparable to those of conventional drugs (amantadine and oseltamivir); however, the nutrient mixture had the advantage of affecting viral replication at the late stages of the infection process.“ Unlike the drugs, there are no significant side-effects. The effect of vitamin C alone was less than that of the combination of nutrients and, in combination, moderate doses of vitamin C exerted a significant anti-viral effect.

The other nutrients given included the amino acids lysine, proline, N-acetyl cysteine, and selenium. N-acetyl cysteine and selenium both promote glutathione levels within cells, which has anti-viral activity. The mineral zinc, in doses of 50 to 100mg a day, has also proved to be anti-viral and is available in lozenges for coughs and colds as found in one study. I recommend half this level in zinc lozenges, for short-term use only. On a daily basis, as prevention, I recommend supplementing 15mg a day. Supplementing this amount of zinc has been shown in recent research to make the body’s T cells much more effective, hence boosting immunity.

Neuramidase inhibition, which prevents viral release from infected cells, is only one of more than ten ways that vitamin C helps knock out viruses, both by inhibiting the virus itself, and by strengthening the body’s own immune response, for example by improving immune cell function (eg macrophages and t-lymphocytes), upping interferon and nitric oxide and making more antibodies which target viruses. In the combined nutrient study I discuss above one of the most significant anti-viral effects was inhibiting viral nucleoprotein, which means the virus cannot multiply. This occurred within 24 hours. Vitamin C, in high doses, has been well proven to be non-toxic in both adults and children over many years. The same cannot be said for this new generation of antiviral drugs. One of the most concerning and rarely mentioned reported side-effects of Tamiflu is bizarre psychiatric problems in children treated with the drug, prompting the US FDA to recommend new warnings concerning possible dangerous psychiatric side effects.

The ideal amount of vitamin C for any flu is up to ‘bowel tolerance’. Start with 3 grams immediately, then 1 gram an hour and if you get diarrhoea, then halve this dose. If you don’t, double it. There are some forms of vitamin C, notably sodium ascorbate with riboperine, and lipospheric vitamin C that allow even more to be absorbed without reaching bowel tolerance. They are marginally better than straight ascorbic acid. Some people find ascorbic acid too acidic, in which case an ascorbate, such as sodium ascorbate, can be taken. It might be useful to have a supply at hand if a flu epidemic does break out. There is no harm in having 100 grams a day short-term, stopping once all symptoms are gone. If even this didn’t stop the flu I’d find a doctor who could administer intravenous sodium ascorbate. The trick with any infection is not to get it in the first place by keeping your immune system strong. I take 2 grams of vitamin C every day. If swine flu breaks out I’m doubling that to 4 grams – one every 6 or so hours, as well as supplementing zinc and selenium on a daily basis. As the studies above show a combination of immune-boosting nutrients appears most effective.

Viruses get into body cells by puncturing their walls with tiny spikes made of a substance called hemagglutinin. According to research by virologist Madeleine Mumcuoglu, working with Dr Jean Linderman, who discovered interferon, an extract of elderberry disarms these spikes by binding to them and preventing them from penetrating the cell membrane. ‘This was the first discovery,’ said Mumcuoglu. ‘Later I found evidence that elderberry also fights flu virus in other ways.’ In a double blind controlled trial she tested the effects of the elderberry extract, called Sambucol, in people diagnosed with any one of a number of strains of flu virus. Their results, published in 1995, showed a significant improvement in symptoms – fever, cough, muscle pain – in 20 per cent of patients within twenty-four hours, and in a further 73 per cent of patients within forty-eight hours. After three days 90 per cent had complete relief of their symptoms compared to another group on a placebo, who look at least six days to recover. In another double-blind controlled trial it cut recovery time in those with influenza by four days. So this is an added bonus.

I’d also recommend ensuring your vitamin D level is good. A study earlier this year, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, of 19,000 people found that with the lowest average levels of vitamin D were about 40 per cent more likely to have a recent respiratory infection, compared to those with higher vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is made in the skin in the presence of sunlight. During autumn and winter months we just don’t make anything like enough. Most experts recommend at least 30mcg a day - half an hour sun exposure and eating oily fish three times a week and half a dozen eggs might give you 15mcg a day, so I also supplement 15mcg in a multivitamin on a daily basis. Most multis, however, only contain 5mcg, the desperately out of date RDA."

Five days of treatment, one 75 mg pill every 12 hours, will cost about $6 per pill or more, or a minimum of $60.

"In healthy adults with seasonal flu, the antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) reduce the duration of symptoms by just half a day, British researchers said."

LONDON (Reuters) – Children should not routinely be treated with flu drugs like Tamiflu since there is no clear evidence they prevent complications and the medicines may do more harm than good, British researchers said on Monday.

What are the possible side effects of Tamiflu (Oseltamivir)?
Stop using oseltamivir and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; a red and blistering or peeling skin rash.

Some people using oseltamivir have had rare side effects of sudden confusion, delirium, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or self-injury. These symptoms have occurred most often in children. It is not known whether oseltamivir was the exact cause of these symptoms.

However, anyone using oseltamivir should be watched closely for signs of confusion or unusual behavior.

Other side effects may include:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, nosebleed, eye redness or discomfort
sleep problems (insomnia); cough or other respiratory symptoms
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Call a doctor at once if you or the child using oseltamivir has any of these symptoms.

From Natural Health News 2006: Flu Shot Risk Too High

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Posted in: natural health news,Tamiflu dangers,vitamin C

Vitamin C Facts

UPDATE: July 28 - Here is some additional information that may be useful to you regarding the flu propaganda. Additional vitamin C is helpful for your animal companions as well.

I recently cured myself and my wife using that "miracle drug" vitamin C, and I posted an article "What Doctors Don't Know". This article is scheduled to appear in the Holistic Health Magazine in September. It is reprinted below. I would appreciate it if everyone on this list copies at least the part about Preventing Autism, and passes it on to every pregnant woman. This will greatly lower the autism birth rate considerably.

What Your Doctor Doesn't Know

Here are 3 simple secrets that are unknown (or ignored) by the medical profession and bitterly disputed by Big Pharma that routinely publishes phony research and myths against them.

1. Plain cheap vitamin C takes all minerals out of the blood by combining with them metabolically. It's cheaper and safer than any other method.

2. The same vitamin C kills viruses - also by combining with them metabolically.

3. The ONLY bad side effect possible using vitamin C is diarrhea.

Few MD's know this because they get little or no vitamin information in med school, and med journals depend on drug advertising for their existence. Any journal that told the truth would go out of business.

As the only PhD in the Orthomolecular Medical Society, I could not use EDTA or other chelation drugs to get toxic minerals out of a patient. In 1981, I had my first case of schizophrenia from a high copper/zinc cause. I asked Carl Pfeiffer what to do in such a case. He told me that he thought vitamin C could be used, and referred me to Linus Pauling. Linus spent a half hour of his time mentoring me in the use of vitamin C for this.

After using vitamin C for many years to "cure" mineral toxicity in many cases of schizophrenia (copper/zinc ratio) and depression (mercury toxicity), I KNOW that vitamin C works!

I have personally been taking 4000 mg (4 grams) per day for years. And all my mineral analysis results for years have shown either very low levels of all toxic minerals, or actually immeasurable amounts. I know that this safe and cheap method works personally. (A copy of my recent hair analysis is available showing this "proof".)

I recently cured the what I believe was the swine flu in myself and my wife in 24 hours using only vitamin C. For the flu, it took 48 grams per day (6 each 1000mg pills every 3 hours) for both my wife and I to beat it.

The RDA of only 75 mg per day allows people to think that this is healthy, not realizing that this small amount is the MINIMUM just to prevent scurvy.

Talk to a vet in the zoo who takes care of primates (primates are apes, monkeys and us), and you'll find out that the RDA to keep a 150 pound ape healthy is 4 grams per day for good health. This is the same for you and I - I take 2 grams AM and PM.

The first two FACTS listed above about vitamin C lead to two different therapies related to Autism, and a very important one for virus curing.

1. That first fact makes for a simple, safe therapy to Prevent Autism by taking toxic minerals (mostly mercury) out of the pregnant woman prior to birth. This leads to the tiny infant liver being able to handle mercury in toxic amounts, not only from vaccines, but from environmental sources such as mothers milk, and mercury from every coal burning power plant around. Basically, this simple system has the expectant mother taking at least 2 grams of vitamin C at breakfast and dinner, leaving other vitamins and minerals for lunch. Increase to 3 grams each time if mother has 6 months or less remaining. Remember that vitamin C takes out good minerals along with the toxic ones, so it's necessary to put back the good ones. (Details on http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=J_3bO&m=1g_rUFeBS3dBIj&b=SFGxcNZzz5Fx5PtjknFMiw)

2. This same fact helps persons with autism remove mercury, lead, and aluminum from the blood, safely, effectively, and cheap! These all can do damage to the brain. Doing this is essential to any autism "cure". (A complete article on this therapy was featured in the August issue of this magazine, and may be found at http://drbate.com.)

3. The other fact dictates the use of vitamin C in huge amounts immediately when any sign of a cold or flu shows up. Start taking at least 6 grams of vitamin C pills every three hours until diarrhea starts. At that point. drop to 6 every 4-5 hours. The idea is to keep high in vitamin C, but not high enough to cause diarrhea. Diarrhea shows that the bloodstream is finally "saturated", and "overflowing". Until that point, virus cells are increasing by doubling every 20 minutes or so.

See now why phony research about vitamin C and virus using 500 mg to 1 gram is useless? If it even kills off half of the virus cells, in 20 minutes after it's used up, the virus is back to full strength. As one researcher put it, "the only mistake is not using enough vitamin C."

For more information, go to http://drbate.com. On the "navigation" section, there are many articles on vitamin C, and using it for the above therapies.

Please help me get this Prevent Autism simple safe and cheap information out to pregnant women everywhere. We can stop this epidemic or at least slow it down easily without a lot of cost (a bottle of 500 one gram pills costs less than $20 at Costco or even WalMart.)

This is a case of not using Big Pharma's pet phrase "ask your doctor". They simply don't know.
--
Phil Bate PhD is a retired Orthomolecular Psychologist
And a pioneer in many new Alternate Health therapies.

UPDATE: July 24 - To foil the musings of mainstream medicine and mainstream media who wrongfully attack the use of supplements, especially vitamins C and E, here is a recent report on how these vitamins reduce mortality.

One main focus at Natural Health News is to get you to think for yourself and to move away from accepting everything you are told by the media and medicine without inquiring further.

Your life and your health may depend on it.

Vitamin C and E supplementation associated with reduced five year mortality

An article published online on July 13, 2009 in the American Journal of Epidemiology reported the results of a study conducted by researchers at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center which found that vitamin C and vitamin E supplement users had a lower risk of dying over a five year period than those who did not supplement.

For their analysis, Gaia Pocobelli and colleagues evaluated data from 77,673 participants in the Vitamins and Lifestyle Study of men and women aged 50 to 76. Questionnaires completed between 2000 and 2002 provided information on the participants' supplement use over the previous ten years. Deaths that occurred over the following five years were classified as being due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other causes.

Over the follow-up period, 3,577 deaths occurred. Participants who reported using vitamin C and vitamin E supplements were found to have a lower risk of dying from any cause than those who did not use the supplements. Subjects whose vitamin C supplementation was in the top one-third of participants at an average daily dose of 322.1 milligrams per day or higher over the 10 year period had an 11 percent lower risk of dying than nonusers. Those whose vitamin E supplementation was among the highest third of participants at an average of 215.1 milligrams per day or more also experienced an 11 percent lower risk of dying over follow-up than those who did not supplement. When the analysis was restricted to those who never smoked, participants in the top third of vitamin C supplementation were found to have a 24 percent lower risk of dying than nonusers, and for those in the top third of vitamin E, the risk was 20 percent lower. A similarly decreased risk was shown for those whose body mass index was 30 or greater and those whose intake of fruit and vegetables was below the median. "Our findings of stronger associations between total mortality risk and use of vitamins C and E among persons with greater body mass index and lesser fruit and vegetable consumption are consistent with the hypothesis that any impact of vitamins C and E on total mortality risk may be stronger among persons with greater levels of oxidative stress," the authors write. "On the other hand, the associations between use of vitamins C and E and total mortality risk were stronger among never smokers than among current/recent smokers, yet smoking is thought to increase oxidative stress."

When mortality was examined by cause, multivitamin use of 6 to 7 days per week was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease death and vitamin E use averaging over 215 milligrams per day was associated with a 28 percent lower risk. In their introduction to the article, the authors note that oxidative damage, which can be prevented, in part, by antioxidant vitamins, has adverse effects on DNA, proteins, and lipids that is associated with diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. However, they recommend caution in interpreting the current study's findings, since supplement users tend to adopt other healthy lifestyle practices that reduce the development of major diseases and related mortality.

Originally posted June 2009:
1. The most "wrong" lie is that vitamin C is used for abortions, and causes them. Many years ago Dr Klenner fed over 300 pregnant women vitamin C in amounts from 5 to 10 grams per day (5000-10,000 mg) all during their pregnancy with not only no abortions or miscarriages, but in general much better health than average contemporaries.

2. The next lie stems from Big Pharma "research" that comes up every so often that vitamin C is not effective against either virus or bacteria. As Linus Pauling put it, "Law: the number one side effect of vitamins is failure to take enough of them."

These "studies" are usually done by people that think that because the FDA for C is only 75 mg, that 500 mg is a "megadose". Remember that 75 mg is the amount that will JUST prevent scurvy. It is not even close to good health. Learn and Remember four facts:

a. Bacteria and virus both multiply in a binary replication, i.e., they double every 20 minutes or so.

b. You MUST saturate the bloodstream, and keep it saturated for several hours to kill ALL of the infecting agents.

c. The only effect from overdosing on vitamin C is diarrea.

d. The RDA for a 150 pound primate in a zoo is 4000 mg per day. (Ask a vet, NOT an MD about vitamin C.)

500 mg of vitamin C daily will not kill even half of the infecting agents, even if taken at one time. It takes a minimum of 2000 mg (2 grams) to do this, and that lasts only 2-4 hours. It is used up by combining with the infecting agent very quickly. How long vitamin C lasts in the bloodstream depends on how much, and what jobs it has to do.

So, even assuming that 500 mg kills of half of the infection, just 20 minutes later the infection is right back to where it started. This means that in the best conditions, in one hour after the vitamin C was taken, the virus or bacteria is twice as strong as when it started.

These studies underwritten by Big Pharma is only a small part of it's efforts to protect their income. Another example: If women knew that vitamin B6 and magnesium stopped PMS, how much money would they lose on Midll, and various other drugs? It's money folks!

3. The last is something few MD's are even aware of (again due to Big Pharmas "brainwashing".) Vitamin C and glutathione are the two natural chelation chemicals that get toxic minerals and other toxins out of the body. Why don't MD's know this simple fact? They're "educationally handicapped" first by the medical training which doesn't devote any real time to vitamins and minerals, second by the fact that no medical journals (where they get their updated medical info) simply cannot publish vitamin information, or Big Pharma will cut their advertising - the lifeblood of all med journals.

Because I was unable to prescribe the "usual" drugs (EDTA or Penicillamine) in my practice, I was forced to look for an alternate. Carl Pfeiffer , the foremost expert (then and still IMO), told me to try vitamin C. I used in my practice for successful treatment of over 10 high copper schizophrenia patients. An interesting sidelight - all such patients lost all of the schizophrenic symptoms within days of taking vitamin C.

The following is found in Dr Klenner's "Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C",

Heavy Metal Poisonings: Especially lead and mercury--are controlled with Vitamin C injections and oral intake. An intake of Vitamin C daily will protect animals--and by extrapolation, humans--from fatal doses of mercury. If a guinea pig needed 200 mg one day to protect it from an otherwise fatal dose of mercury, the human would need 14 grams daily. Smaller doses would be able to protect the body from smaller amounts of the toxin.

Lead poisoning: 350 mg of Vitamin C per one kg of body weight taken intramuscularly every two to four hours; recovery in less than 72 hours.
The "greats" in the Orthomolecular Medical Society, Linus Pauling, Carl Pfeiffer, Emanuel Cheraskin, William J. McCormick, Irwin Stone, Robert F. Cathcart, and Andrew Saul all agree with me on the use of vitamin C as opposed to drugs.

For all those who would like to learn more about vitamin C as an old "miracle drug" here are some unbiased info by a few of these "greats",

Dr. Frederick R. Klenner's Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C is posted in its entirety at http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/198x/smith-lh-clinical_guide_1988.htm

The complete text of Irwin Stone's book The Healing Factor is posted for free reading at http://vitamincfoundation.org/stone/

A very large number of full-text papers on curing illness with vitamin C are posted at http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate . These include Frederick R. Klenner.
http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitaminc2.html by Andrew Saul

from Phil Bate PhD, orthomolecular pioneer

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Posted in: natural health news,Phil Bate PhD,vitamin C,vitamin facts