Heart Health & Chondroitin Sulfate

It’s time for a clinical update.  About two years ago, while preparing a discussion of heart disease for my doctors’ class, I ran across some information that I thought was tremendously exciting.  A simple nutrient: chondroitin sulfate (CS) – was proven to reduce plaque formation in atherosclerosis.  In fact, it had been demonstrated to remove plaque from arterial walls.  I was astounded that it was not in general use, since the information has been in the medical literature since the 1970’s and 1980’s.  The gentleman who did the research comes with the highest medical credentials, as well.  He was Dr. Lester Morrison, Chairman of the Department of Atherosclerosis Research at Loma Linda University.  His discovery was truly life-saving.  In one long-term study lasting 6 years, only 7% of the patients receiving CS died from cardiovascular disease, compared to 23% in the control group.  Nonfatal cardiac events were similarly decreased.  An animal study conducted at the same time demonstrated that cardiovascular disease was reversed in monkeys with oral administration of CS.

The side effects were simple:  abundant hair growth, improved HDL levels, improved connective tissue integrity and joint flexibility.  The chondroitin also prevented clot formation.  See the article  Discussion of Chondroitin Sulfate for an in-depth discussion of how it works and further medical references.  Be sure to scroll down to the section on cardiovascular health.

I immediately began prescribing high doses of CS for people whose hair was thinning and for those with cholesterol deposits in their arteries.  The results are now in and the results range from some improvement to amazing.

First, the “some improvement.”  Some people noticed a marked increase in their hair growth.  For others, the results were not as good.  The dosage was high 6,000 to 8,000 mg per day – dropping to 1600 mg for maintenance after 9 to 10 months.  The combination of improving thyroid function with iodine supplementation and CS seemed to work the best.   (Watch up-coming newsletters for more on the importance of iodine supplementation.)

In the “amazing” category are the results with atherosclerosis (aka, hardening of the arteries, or plaque deposits).  In order to monitor plaque deposition, I have been examining the retinal field; since that is the only place you can visualize the arteries without expensive imaging studies.  After as little as 3 or 4 months on high dose CS, I began to see changes in the retinal field.  People whose arteries were “copper wire” in appearance – indicating severe plaque deposition – began to show improvement.  And, at 6 months, the changes were even more marked; the arteries no longer looked like wires, there were only intermittent speckles of plaque.  By 9 to 12 months, several of my patients had complete resolution of the abnormalities in their retinal arteries.

In addition, I had another pleasant surprise.  A second indicator of what is medically called “hyperlipidemia,” which is basically high blood fats, including cholesterol, began to clear up.  The indicator is called a senile arcus and is a cloudy, half moon shape at the top of the iris of the eye (the colored part).  It looks dull and opaque from the fatty deposits.  These, too, began to diminish and are now practically all gone.

Another “amazing” result was that, at the same time, I had a patient with right-sided heart failure.  His response to CS was truly amazing.  Within about 5 weeks, all of his symptoms had resolved and the right side of his heart had returned to normal.  I attribute this amazing result to the CS restoring the integrity of his connective tissues, which cause him severe problems.

This is exciting news, since all of the pharmaceuticals recommended to correct problems with blood fats have serious problems, ranging from heart failure to liver problems to dementia and memory loss in older people.  These drugs are among the most widely used – and most toxic – on the market.

The only downside that I see to taking CS is that you must take it daily to continue to receive the benefits.  Once your arteries are clear, the dose drops to 1600 mg per day, which is four capsules.  However, given the fact that it keeps your blood vessels young and resilient, I consider this a minor inconvenience, at best.

Suppressing Information About the Swine Flu

Dateline:  October 25, 2009:

Today on the news I heard an announcement that stunned me.  Welcome to Brave New World.  The FDA is pursuing and shutting down anyone on the Internet that offers “cures” for the swine flu – other than the FDA endorsed vaccine, Tamiflu or Relenza.

What’s wrong with this picture?  First of all, there is no proof that Tamiflu or Relenza “cure” the flu.  In the first 24 hours, there is some beneficial effect; however, side effects include:  skin reactions, bizarre behavior, nausea and vomiting.  (And, this is from the official  Tamiflu web site)

The effects in children are even more severe.  As reported in the UK Guardian in July of 2009 over half the school children given Tamiflu had adverse effects, including nearly 1/3rd who felt “sick”, nearly ¼ who reported headaches and more than 1/5th who reported stomach aches.

An article published in the London Times on-line edition in August 2009 went so far as to say children with the flu not be given Tamiflu due to the fact that side effects outweigh the benefits. One of the authorities quoted stated that “the only benefit found in the study was that children who took Tamiflu or Relenza were back to normal between half a day and a day earlier. His advice to GPs was ’not to rely on Tamiflu as a treatment to reduce complications’ or to think of it as a ‘magic bullet’. The antivirals had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a child needing antibiotics.”

Another web site reports on even more alarming symptoms, although it tries to minimize them:  “More serious side effects have also sometimes been reported. According to the FDA, ‘there have been reports (mostly from Japan) since Tamiflu became available of patients causing self-injury or experiencing delirium (confusion, hallucinations, speech problems) while using Tamiflu.’ While these ‘reports were mostly in children,’ it is still not known if they were actually caused by taking Tamiflu”.

And then there is all of the adverse effects associated with vaccines.  You will have to decide for yourself whether or not you want to expose your children and yourself to those. (See my article “Swine Flu Vaccine Alert” for more.)

To me, the most frightening piece of this picture is that those of us who prefer to provide natural, alternative therapies are now being targeted by the government as “scammers” and “quacks.”  Apparently, free speech does not apply to health care.  Where will it end?

There is plenty of documented, scientific evidence that St. John’s Wort is effective against encapsulated viruses – like the influenza viruses. (see my article “West Nile Virus & St. John’s Wort”) And, I have clinical evidence that Thymunose (an immune stimulant) shortens the course of the illness, without any of the serious side effects of the prescription drugs.

I find it frightening that the FDA can step in and limit our health care choices.  And, there is no recourse from the government. However, I feel it is my responsibility to tell my clients what I know about strategies to keep themselves and their families healthy.

Swine Flu Vaccine Alert

This morning, October 9, 2009, a comment on the news made me perk up and listen.

It seems that the swine flu vaccine contains mercury. If you want mercury-free vaccine, you have to make a special request. Not only do you have to request it, but you have to wait, because it isn’t yet available.

Why is this a worry? Because flu vaccine that contains mercury represents an enormous risk to your mental acuity. A study done by Hugh Fudenburg, MD, a leading immunogeneticist who has published some 850 peer-reviewed papers, revealed “If an individual had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980, the chances of Alzheimer’s Disease was 10 times greater than for those getting . . . no shots.” (Fudenburg, H MD, Hazards of vaccines. J Clin Investigation, vol 4, P 97-105, 2000)

I think this information is serious enough to warrant wide dissemination. However, when I brought the statistic up to Dr. Rosenfeld on Fox News, who has a segment called “Sunday House Call” and who is a passionate advocate of vaccination, his response was “The CDC doesn’t acknowledge that study.  It’s meaningless.”  My questions:  Why doesn’t the CDC acknowledge statistics that are so alarming?  Is there something operating behind the scenes of which we are unaware?  It has already come to light that the CDC is susceptible to political pressure.  (Example:  the inaccuracy of the Body Mass Index.  See my article “Body Mass Index Invalid” for the details)

Of the greatest concern to me about the “nasal mist” swine flu vaccine is that it contains live, attenuated virus.  Yikes!  This is the same type of preparation that was outlawed in the 1990s for causing polio in the U.S.  My nephew was a victim of that vaccine.  Furthermore, a live vaccine — even if attenuated — has the ability to incorporate itself into our genes.   That was one of the primary objections of virologists (scientists who study viruses) when the concept of live-virus vaccines was first introduced in the 1950s. Their voices were quickly drowned out by the flood of funding for research and marketing of vaccines.  We now see the end result: government backing of a flood of potentially toxic vaccines. Furthermore, you inhale this mist, providing a direct route for the mercury to travel to your brain via the olfactory nerve.  This mechanism was demonstrated in Alzheimer’s research (see my article “Aluminum Toxicity” for more information).

The only solution that I see is to avoid vaccines.  They all have side effects.  Documented side effects of influenza vaccine include Guillain-Barre syndrome, which demyelinates the peripheral nerves, pleurisy, fever and illness.  It is very difficult to find documentation regarding vaccine side effects, since the drug companies suppress this information.  A good resource for more on this topic is Dr. Tim O’Shea (TheDoctorWithin) who wrote an excellent book The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination is NOT Immunization.  In 2008, it was in its 12th edition, and there may be a newer version available, so I recommend you order the book directly from  his web site.

In addition, many others are raising warnings about the dangers of this vaccine (“Is The Swine Flu Vaccine Dangerous?“)  Even some medical doctors have come forward and acknowledged that this vaccine may be more dangerous than the illness, which is relatively mild and self-limiting.  Unfortunately, I have only heard these comments on the radio, but was not able to provide you an internet link.

Educate yourself; protect yourself and your family. Become an informed health care consumer.  If you do become ill, call the office for a treatment to boost your immune system and shorten your convalescence.  (See “Avian Flu” on this blog for more info)  We also have herbs that specifically target the influenza virus.  You can begin taking Medi-Herb St. John’s Wort (2 per day) immediately for prophylaxis.  I also recommend 2 Echinacea Premium daily to up-regulate your immune vigilance.

URGENT HEALTH CARE ALERT!

This just came across my desk. It is a chart of the new bureaucracies created by the proposals currently on the table in Congress – an ObamaCare nightmare!

Obama's Health Care Bureaucracy

Although not entirely legible (enlarging it doesn’t help), there are some things you should know. It was compiled by economists on the House Joint Economic Committee, who went through the legislation line by line and spotlighted all the new agencies created by this bill. They then went through the bill a second time just to make sure this chart is accurate.

The color white represents existing agencies. All of the colored squares are new bureaucracies created by the legislation. Scary, isn’t it? The language of the bill may be legalistic gobbledy-gook, but in this case, a picture is worth a million words!

Even worse, the Democratic majority in Congress is preventing the dissemination of this chart – calling it “inaccurate.” They know the chart presented at the time President Clinton was trying to introduce national health care meant the end of the bill. And, that chart looks like a walk in the park compared to this maze.

Do your part. Share this information with everyone you know and encourage everyone to deluge Congress with faxes, emails and phone calls. Overwhelming members of Congress with our objections is our only hope of stopping this nightmare.

The Pancreatic Cancer Scourge

The recent death of Patrick Swayze hit me hard.  He was younger than I, and has always seemed to me to be a person who stood up for honor and integrity.  But, what hit me hardest was how unnecessary it was.  The second hit for me was an oncologist praising Swayze’s two-year survival after diagnosis as an “achievement.”  Why did I find that so upsetting?  Read on, I think you’ll agree.

Current medical practice mandates aspirin for anyone who has “risk factors” for heart disease.  Just being older and male is now a risk factor, and almost all men over the age of 40 are now prescribed a daily aspirin.  Seems harmless, doesn’t it?  The truth, however, is far different.

As I pointed out years ago, the Nurses’ Longitudinal Health Study clearly showed an enormous increase in the risk for pancreatic cancer with aspirin use.  And, it didn’t even have to be daily!  An aspirin once or twice a week increased the risk 58%.  (See my article “An Aspirin A Day Can Give You Cancer” for more details.)

Have you heard anything about these appalling statistics?  I think not, because the information was quickly buried.  Why would people be encouraged to take a substance that causes an incurable disease?  Why are these facts being ignored?  I have my own opinion — particularly in light of the fact that vitamins and herbs (safe, natural substances) are continually characterized as “dangerous” and “deadly.”

I believe that the drug companies are criminally responsible for the deaths of millions of people — particularly when they ignore data from their own studies.  Protect yourself and your family.  Question every drug that is prescribed.  Look up potential side effects.  If you’re not clear, make an appointment to consult me regarding your health condition and learn what alternatives are available.  And remember:  What we hear in the media and read on the internet is heavily filtered by drug company interests, particularly on sites like WebMD.

Protect Your Access to Health Care

Have you been paying attention to the information coming out about the Health Care Plan as people have the opportunity to read the bill?

This morning (July 28, 2009), I heard something horrifying.  The bill contains provision for a 5-person panel of unelected “health care experts” who will determine what health care services are provided under the government plan and what doctors will be paid for those services.  This is alarming for a number of reasons:

1)  These unelected officials do not have to be doctors, nor will they be accessible to the wishes of the American public.

2)  Your doctor will not be able to choose the best treatment for your health condition, because the particular treatment will be mandated based upon cost, and perceived benefit.  If you are too elderly or too ill, your treatments will be denied.  The new talking point is that 25% of all health care costs are spent on the elderly who, after all, are going to die anyway.  So, it’s a waste of resources.

3)  Access to alternative care is not currently included in this plan.  So, if you value true, health-building options, they will not be available to you.  And, with the increased taxes needed to fund this enormous power-grab by the government, even if the law permits private fee-for-service arrangements, none of us may be able to afford it.  Not to mention the fact that the plan as originally presented did not include alternative care.  I don’t know what the status is currently; and, like everyone else, I can’t get a straight answer out of my Representative’s office.  I suspect that is because nobody really knows.

4)  The mechanism of this panel is that they will present their pronouncements on health care to Congress, which will have 30 days to object.  After that 30-day period, whatever new restrictions have been promulgated will automatically become law.  The kicker in this is that it gives our elected representatives “cover.”  If their constituents are unhappy, they can simply protest that they had no power over whatever is objectionable.

5)  Finally, and perhaps most alarmingly, is the extraordinarily complicated bureaucracy imposed by this boondoggle.  See GrassFire.org for a chart of what the bill provides.  What has been your personal experience at the U.S. Post Office or the Department of Motor Vehicles?  Cheer up!  That experience is coming soon to a health care facility near you.

I don’t believe it is possible to overstate the dangers of this legislation.  So, I urge you to make your voice heard.  Contact your Representative and Senators.  Sign on-line petitions opposing the plan.  (see GrassFire.org, as well as Townhall.com at the top of the page.)  Don’t sit on the sidelines.  Time is short and our freedom of choice is at stake.

Surviving a Flu Pandemic

I was surprised in discussing my last newsletter with various clients. I suddenly realized that I was the repository of almost forgotten knowledge – valuable knowledge that could be life saving. This letter is the result of that cognition.

As you may be aware, I had a chiropractic mentor – Dr. Ralph J. Martin. He was a leader in our profession, serving as both President and Regent of a large chiropractic institution, co-founding the American Chiropractic Association and the process of certifying chiropractic nationally for continuing education approval. He did much to establish the profession in the U.S. And, what I learned from him remains invaluable.

In 1918, he was a lad of 16, living in the Dakotas. He vividly remembered the Spanish flu pandemic, when people all over town were ill, and many of them were dying. His family’s doctor was the only lady chiropractor in town. When the epidemic hit, she made house calls on every family in her practice, adjusting every member of the family almost daily. I gather it was a pretty small town. The upshot of this story is that she was the only doctor in town that didn’t lose a single patient. Every other doctor was helpless in the face of the spread of the contagion.

Young Ralph was so impressed that he decided he wanted to be a chiropractor when he grew up. It took him until his mid-30s to be able to afford school, but he graduated and became a force within the profession.

You may ask, “Why did adjusting work?” Good question; and, an important question. What most of us are unaware of is that, even today, the healing process is dependent upon the body’s immune system.  It is the immune system’s ability to adapt and respond that allows you to heal – no matter what the affliction or procedure. I’ve said this before, but it bears iteration: No doctor would make the first incision if he or she wasn’t sure the body would heal up the wound. In fact, there was a chiropractic hospital in Denver (I believe) years ago where patients with T.B., as well as other infectious diseases were treated only with adjustments. The advent of antibiotics eliminated the hospital – writing a prescription is always easier and less time-consuming than physically adjusting someone.

At this point in time, it has become illegal in the State of California to advocate a chiropractic adjustment as an alternative to vaccines; therefore, I am not doing so. I am simply presenting the evidence so that you can decide what will work best for you and your family.

The effect of a chiropractic adjustment on the immune system is unassailable. Even medical professionals acknowledge its value. The following is a partial list of references:

1.    “People who receive regular chiropractic adjustments have immune system competency that is 200% greater than those who don’t.” (Dr. Ron Pero. New York Preventative Medicine Institute and Environmental Health at NYU)
2.    A group of HIV positive patients received chiropractic adjustments.  Thereafter, blood tests were performed by the patients’ independent medical center where they were under medical supervision. A 48% increase in CD4 cells was demonstrated over the six month duration of the study for the adjusted group. (The Effects of Specific Upper Cervical Adjustments on the CD4 Counts of HIV Positive Patients, Chiropractic Research J 1994; 3 (1):32-39)

3.    Studies attempting to measure the effect of chiropractic manipulation on the immune system are reviewed. Their results suggest that chiropractic or manipulative treatment may influence T and B lymphocyte numbers, NK cell numbers, antibody levels, phagocytic activity and plasma beta-endorphin levels. (James M. Allen, Chiro J Aust 1993; 23 (4) Dec:132-135)

My recommendation is that, at the first sign of illness, you call and schedule an appointment for an adjustment. Be sure to mention the reason you want a treatment, so that I can incorporate the Spears’ adjustment to the thoracic spine, which directly stimulates the lymph nodes in that area. Other modalities we offer – including diathermy – are for after an infection has become well established. Getting adjusted is a way to avoid becoming ill.

Combatting the Swine Flu Hysteria

After several days of media hysteria, you are probably concerned about this latest “outbreak” of swine flu. If you listen to the media, we are all in danger of dying. However, that is far from the case, and in this letter, I want to set the facts straight and give you a strategy to protect both yourself and your loved ones.

First of all, let’s put matters into perspective. This viral strain is H1N1, not the dreadful H5N1 bird strain that we’ve been hearing so much about over the last several years. Why is that important? Because – media hype to the contrary – swine flu is generally much less pathogenic than bird flu. People will get sick; people get the flu every year. But, so far, there is no reason to believe that this flu will be any worse than the other flu outbreaks that circle the globe annually.

The latest information is also that the strain is not highly transmissible. The outbreaks have so far been contained in “clusters” – groups of mutually infected people – without spreading to the larger population.

For one thing, the death rate (deaths/100,000 population) is most likely greatly inflated due to the dearth of health care in many of the more rural areas of Mexico. There are undoubtedly many more than the 1600 reported cases of this influenza, almost all of which have been reported in the cities. Many laborers in Mexico actually live in the rural areas and only commute in to the cities to work, returning home each evening to the farm. So, the statistics are not reliable.

The next important fact is that of the cases that have been reported in the U.S., the symptoms have been relatively mild and consistent with influenza in general. In fact, the symptoms are so similar that the CDC and epidemiologists are hard put to determine whether an infection is actually the H1N1 strain they are so concerned about. As of this writing, I do not believe anyone in the U.S. has died from this virus.

So, what can you do personally? The first, and to me most important, fact about this virus is that it is encapsulated, as are all influenza viruses. Why is that important? Because encapsulated viruses are susceptible to St. John’s Wort (SJW). (See my article, “The Flu and St. John’s Wort” on my web site, which contains all the references to the medical literature. The best thing you and your family can do is to begin taking SJW now as a prophylactic. For adults, the dose would be 2 per day. For young children, I recommend ½ tablet per day.

At the first sign of symptoms, begin taking Thymunose (another product we have in stock), 2 twice a day; and increase your dosage of SJW to 4 to 6 per day, depending upon body weight.  You can call the office if you are unsure of how much to take.

If you develop a deep cough and/or chest congestion, call the office and make an appointment for diathermy to the lungs to help your body ward off the virus.

Since every news program I have seen underscores the idea that Tamiflu is somewhat effective against this virus, I have my suspicions about all the hyperbole that is going on. But, remember, Tamiflu is effective only within the first 48 hours of infection, and most patients don’t exhibit symptoms until the 3rd or 4th day. Furthermore, it has some pretty serious side effects as well.

So, the take-away message here is that there is no cause for alarm. And, even if you or a member of your family becomes ill, we are here to help you recover.

Medical Fascism Hidden in Stimulus Bill fm Natural Soln’s Foundation

I just received this information on February 11, 2009 from Natural Solutions Foundation (http//www.HealthFreedomUSA.org http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?page_id=2060). I wanted to share it as soon as possible, since time is of the essence. Please read the article below in its entirety.

The information is very disturbing. The stimulus plan contains provisions regarding national health care that will mean the end of medical services as we now know them. Care for the elderly will be established based upon life expectancy, rather than benefit. In addition, the requirement that all doctors and hospitals “go electronic” so that their actions can be monitored imposes an enormous cost on doctors and hospitals. Outfitting an office with an electronic network and laptops is just the beginning. Specialized programs costing upwards of $25,000 also have to be purchased.

I don’t have enough information as yet. My hope is that there will at least be an option for private payment for services. The bill first introduced by Hillary Clinton in the 1990s made it a criminal offense for doctors to accept private payments. If that happens, I will not be able to continue in practice, since the work that I perform will not be covered by any national health care program. Let your Congressperson and Senators know how you feel about this attempt to hoodwink the American public.

I urge you to take action now – before it is too late.

Here’s a copyrighted Opinion Piece Bloomberg published on it, offered here to further educate the public.
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_mccaughey&sid=aLzfDxfbwhzs)

Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan
Commentary by Betsy McCaughey

Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.

Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.

Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version).

The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.

But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.

New Penalties

Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time” (511, 518, 540-541)

What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make.

The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.

Elderly Hardest Hit

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.

Medicare now pays for treatments deemed safe and effective. The stimulus bill would change that and apply a cost- effectiveness standard set by the Federal Council (464).

The Federal Council is modeled after a U.K. board discussed in Daschle’s book. This board approves or rejects treatments using a formula that divides the cost of the treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit. Treatments for younger patients are more often approved than treatments for diseases that affect the elderly, such as osteoporosis.

In 2006, a U.K. health board decreed that elderly patients with macular degeneration had to wait until they went blind in one eye before they could get a costly new drug to save the other eye. It took almost three years of public protests before the board reversed its decision.

Hidden Provisions

If the Obama administration’s economic stimulus bill passes the Senate in its current form, seniors in the U.S. will face similar rationing. Defenders of the system say that individuals benefit in younger years and sacrifice later.

The stimulus bill will affect every part of health care, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much hospitals get paid. The bill allocates more funding for this bureaucracy than for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force combined (90-92, 174-177, 181).

Hiding health legislation in a stimulus bill is intentional. Daschle supported the Clinton administration’s health-care overhaul in 1994, and attributed its failure to debate and delay. A year ago, Daschle wrote that the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”

More Scrutiny Needed

On Friday, President Obama called it “inexcusable and irresponsible” for senators to delay passing the stimulus bill. In truth, this bill needs more scrutiny.

The health-care industry is the largest employer in the U.S. It produces almost 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Yet the bill treats health care the way European governments do: as a cost problem instead of a growth industry. Imagine limiting growth and innovation in the electronics or auto industry during this downturn. This stimulus is dangerous to your health and the economy.

(Betsy McCaughey is former lieutenant governor of New York and is an adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Betsy McCaughey at Betsymross@aol.com
Last Updated: February 9, 2009 00:01 ES

Debunking False Vitamin Information

I never cease to be amazed by the ignorance of the medical community regarding nutrition.  Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld on Sunday Housecall on Fox News, June 29, 2008, stated categorically that Vitamin A is the only vitamin found in meat. Not only he is mistaken, he is dangerously wrong.  The most important vitamin in meat is vitamin B12, a lack of which causes severe, irreversible neurological damage.  And, the only source of vitamin B12 is red meat.  Actually, organ meats and bone marrow are the best sources.  Vegetarians have been told you can get B12 from Chlorella supplements (i.e., blue green algae or “pond scum”).  The amount of B12 in these supplements is so miniscule as to be useless.  I can make this statement after doing blood tests on dozens of vegetarians, all of whom are deficient in B12.  We also get a tiny amount of B12 from our gut flora, assuming your gut is actually healthy.  Today, that’s a moot question, since we are bombarded by antibiotics in our milk supply, commercial meats and pharmaceutical prescriptions.

On the other hand, vitamin A precursors (in the form of beta-carotene) can be found in orange vegetables:  cantaloupe, yams, yellow squash, etc.   Most of us get plenty of vitamin A by the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A in our digestive tracts.

He also said that vitamins are dangerous.  And, he cited as his only example the studies using beta-carotene in isolation.  I thoroughly debunked this “experiment” when it was first released.  See the article on my web site (http://richardsfamilyhealth.com/navpages/aboutus/newsarchives3.html#Anchor-Finnish_Antioxidant). However, now that this study is in the medical “literature,” it continues to be referenced by everyone wanting to discredit vitamins.  The only accurate thing he said about the study was that beta-carotene was taken in isolation.  That part is true.  You need a spectrum of vitamins, based upon your personal chemistry, to get optimum benefit.

The other “bad” rep for vitamins – as far as Dr. Rosenfeld was concerned – was simply that Americans spend too much money on them!  He said that was the item that triggered his “suspicion” of vitamins.

Dr. Rosenfeld trotted out the old chestnut about how a balanced diet gives you everything you need.  Balderdash!  After years of taking blood tests, I can assure you that this is no longer true.  We have a food industry that destroys nutrient value at every step of the process.  From picking foods green, to hauling them in open-air semis in 100º + heat, to washing them in the supermarket every 15 minutes or so.  And, that’s only the fresh foods!  Let’s not even get into the processed, synthetic, non-foods that most Americans ingest.  Think artificial sweeteners and snack “foods”.

So, the drumbeat continues.  Since the media are in the pocket of the drug industry and the AMA – think about the amount of advertising revenue they receive from drug promotion – this isn’t likely to turn around any time soon.  Unfortunately, the disinformation campaign is widely disseminated, and I know many of you are receiving pressure from well-meaning friends and family members – urging you to reconsider your ingestion of vitamins.  Stay informed.  And, I hope the information that I have provided will give you a factual basis to educate the people who care about you.

It is very important that we all stay alert and are ready to act when legislation arises to restrict vitamin usage in the U.S.  At that point, we will need to bombard Washington, D.C. with our objections.  The new law that goes into effect in August of this year is just the beginning.  Legislation has imposed “safety” standards on the industry that will simply result in higher costs.  Most of my suppliers already do quality control testing of the sort that has now been mandated.  However, onerous – and expensive – reporting requirements have been imposed.  Another level of bureaucracy blocking our freedom of access.

It’s all very worrying to those of us who want to keep ourselves and our families in optimum health.