Southern Favorites Linked to a 41% Increase in Strokes

Omega-6 Fats in Processed- and Deep Fried Foods Can Massively Increase Your Heart Disease Risk

• Dietary advice about fats and risk of heart disease has been called into question by research showing that replacing saturated animal fats with omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable fats is linked to an increased risk of death among patients with heart disease

• Recent research also found that people who regularly ate a traditional “Southern” diet, known for its many deep-fried foods, had a whopping 41 percent increased risk of stroke

• Limiting your intake of omega-6 fats and boosting intake of omega-3 during pregnancy can result in a healthier, more muscular baby, according to a new study. Levels of omega-6 in the mother’s blood during pregnancy was positively correlated with their child’s fat mass at ages four and six

• If you want to increase your overall health and energy level and prevent health conditions like heart disease, cancer, depression and Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and a host of other diseases, one of the most important strategies at your disposal is to increase your intake of omega-3 fats and reduce your intake of processed omega-6 fats

For more information: Deep Fried Foods Can Massively Increase Your Heart Disease Risk

Spicy Foods Kill Cancer Cells

Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells – BBC News

“We believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers.” – Dr Timothy Bates

They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria – the cells’ energy-generating boiler rooms. The research raises the possibility that other cancer drugs could be developed to target mitochondria.

The Nottingham University study features in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in the cancer cell mitochondria to trigger apoptosis, or cell death, without harming surrounding healthy cells.

Continue reading: http://bbc.in/RPSQdg

Scoville scale: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale

How to grow chilli peppers: http://growtest.org/2012/11/20/chili-peppers/

Splenda

Sucralose (sold as Splenda) is the fastest growing artificial sweetener on the market. It is found in everything from frozen deserts, to sodas, to cookies, gum, and candies. It is also sold in bulk for baking and is in packets for sweetening coffee or tea. Many people on the low-sugar craze have switched to this dangerous toxin.

I hope everyone is avoiding artificial sweeteners, but if you still consume them, here is some important information:

Splenda is NOT natural, despite its deceptive marketing claims. Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new PESTICIDE formula.

It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar) — except that 3 of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms. So the marketing gimmick of “Splenda is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar.” is really deceptive because it leads some people to believe that Splenda is a natural sweetener and therefore healthier, which is obviously not true.

Sucralose is not metabolized by the body so it has no calories. And, the reason people use it in baking is that the chlorine that prevents it from being absorbed by the body also gives it the ability to withstand enough heat so it doesn’t lose its flavor.

Most independent scientific researchers have said that Sucralose has more in common with pesticides than sugar, because the bonds holding the carbon and chlorine atoms together are more characteristic of a chlorocarbon than a salt — and most pesticides are chlorocarbons.

In an interesting manipulation of facts, the FDA approved the sweetener in 1998, despite the fact that tests showed mutagenic carcinogens in sucralose that also caused shrunken thymus glands, enlarged livers, and kidney disorders. In approving sucralose, the FDA accepted the industry studies, claiming that the study was valid because it was done on rats, and rats metabolize sucralose more like humans than any other animals used for testing.

However, on a recent study that shows Splenda significantly decreases beneficial gut flora, the FDA decided that because these studies were not based on human tests, they were not conclusive and so they dismissed the negative findings because the study was done on rats.

10 toxic hotspots in the home

Kitchen: Oven Cleaner

For consumers without a self-cleaning oven, periodic scrub downs are mandatory. Unfortunately, commercially available oven cleaners can be just as onerous as the cleaning task at hand. “Oven cleaners are full of dangerous ingredients, including lye – also known as ‘caustic soda’ – ethers, ethylene glycol, methylene chloride and petroleum distillates,” says Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic physician and chair of the environmental medicine department at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona.
Because oven cleaners with these ingredients can burn the skin, it’s important to wear gloves while handling the item. Even spraying the aerosol contents involves releasing the neurotoxic solvent butane.
Fortunately, a simple paste of baking soda and water, applied to the mess, may be all you need to keep your oven clean. And to cut down on grease deposits, lay pans or foiled-lined receptacles at the bottom of the oven to help catch pan drippings.

Bathroom: Toothpaste

Having a favorite toothpaste may help ensure good dental hygiene. But the anti-bacterial and toxic ingredient triclosan, found in many dentifrices, may harm the rest of your body.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that triclosan has been found in everyone they’ve done toxicity testing on,” says Crinnion, the author of Clean, Green & Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins that Make You Fat. “Think of triclosan as a chlorinated pesticide, which means that it causes allergies and imbalances the immune system, just like other chlorinated pesticides.” In children the substance has been associated with high rates of hay fever. Because, says Crinnion, the substance has become part of our toxic burden, he advises against buying toothpaste and other products containing this ingredient.

Dining Room: Candles

Burning candles can add more than atmosphere to an event. Candlelight usually means the room is filling up with toxins. “To enhance slow burning, many candles on the market, mainly those that are scented, have metal wires that contain lead inside their wicks,” says Crinnion. “These wicks are responsible for a hazardous level of lead release, which has been associated with learning disabilities and Parkinson’s Disease. And the candles’ artificial fragrances contain plasticizers and other solvent-type mixtures.”
Crinnion underscores the toxic risk that occurs with all types of combustion, even when you’re burning natural beeswax candles. “Combustion involves the release of hydrocarbons which leads to oxidative damage and respiratory problems,” he says. His advice: “Burn candles only on special occasions and not for long periods of time.”

Source: 10 toxic hotspots in the home

During One of the Worst Flu Seasons, is the Flu Vaccine the Answer?

• The US is currently in the middle of at least three widespread outbreaks of influenza and flu-like illness, including an unusually aggressive influenza virus, a novel norovirus, whooping cough (pertussis), as well as an uptick in laryngitis, and strep with cough

• Apparently many flu shot recipients are coming down with influenza and flu-like illness despite having been vaccinated—a strong indication that flu vaccines are ineffective in keeping people well despite the fact that the vaccines available this year are a good match to the actual flu strains in circulation

• According to recent reviews of hundreds of studies on the effectiveness of flu vaccines in children and adults, flu shots were found to be quite ineffective. At best, the vaccines might be effective against influenza A and B viruses about half the time and the CDC admits that influenza viruses only represent about 20-30 percent of all circulating viruses in this and other “flu seasons.”

• The combined results of vaccine trials show that under ideal conditions (influenza vaccine completely matching circulating viral configuration) 33 healthy adults need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms. In average conditions (partially matching vaccine) 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms.

• Vaccine studies show influenza vaccine use does not affect the number of people hospitalized or working days lost, but were found to cause one case of Guillian-Barré syndrome for every one million vaccinations

For more information: During One of the Worst Flu Seasons, is the Flu Vaccine the Answer?

Extreme Endurance Cardio Does More Harm than Good

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• Extreme endurance cardio, such as marathon running, actually damages your heart, and can negate the health benefits you’d otherwise reap from a regular fitness program. Research has shown that once you reach 40-50 minutes of vigorous exercise per day, the benefits from your efforts plateau, and further efforts do not convey further improvements in life expectancy.

• Extended extreme cardio sets in motion inflammatory mechanisms that damage your heart. So while your heart is indeed designed to work very hard, and will be strengthened from doing so, it’s only designed to do so intermittently, and for short periods—not for an hour or more at a time.

• Veteran endurance athletes have a five-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation, a dangerous irregular heart rhythm. Worse yet, some endurance athletes also present ventricular tachycardia, which can lead to ventricular fibrillation—a leading cause of sudden cardiac death.

• To optimize the health benefits from running, you’ll want to run 5-20 miles per week—the ideal amount being 10-15 miles per week. Once you reach 25 miles or more per week, the benefits actually disappear. Running too fast (faster than 8 miles per hour) or more than five times per week also negates the health benefits of running.

• The best survival rates among runners are in those who run at a slow to average pace for a total of 1 to 2.5 hours per week, divided between two to three runs per week.

For more information, check out: Extreme Endurance Cardio May Do More Harm than Good

Even if You Have the Flu, Ignore This Much-Heralded Flu Remedy

Since 2009, Roche, the maker of Tamiflu, has refused to release data from eight of 10 clinical trials on the drug. To address the dangers inherent with withholding of clinical trial data, the Cochrane Collaboration group in collaboration with the British Medical Journal has created the BMJ Open Data Campaign

There is currently no scientific basis for the worldwide recommendation to use Tamiflu for the prevention or treatment of influenza. It is believed, however, that the missing trial data may reveal potential harms, and/or verify the drug’s ineffectiveness

Researchers are calling for an end to the “culture of haphazard publication and incomplete data disclosure,” the implementation of more robust regulation, and full access to the raw trial data to ensure transparency

For more information: Science Behind Tamiflu Recommendations “Missing in Action”

Dr. Mercola’s Top 3 Recommended Supplements

Dr. Mercola Discusses Super Slow Workout

Also read my article on slow weightlifting: Slow Weight Lifting for Fast Results

Toxicology Expert Explains Why Aspartame is so Dangerous to Your Health

• Aspartame is the most dangerous food additive on the market today, accounting for over 75 percent of adverse reactions reported to the FDA, including seizures and death

• Even though aspartame is touted as natural it has a synthetic methyl group on one of the amino acids that rapidly breaks down to methanol (wood alcohol). The sweetness associated with aspartame is largely the result of methyl alcohol bonded to the amino acid phenylalanine

• Methyl alcohol is metabolized differently in the human body compared to other animals, and is FAR more toxic in humans which is why studies have trouble nailing down the hazards related to aspartame, because most rely on animal not human studies

• Methyl alcohol, after it is taken up by the body as a “Trojan Horse” into susceptible tissues like the brain, converts rapidly into formaldehyde,. This causes severe damage to proteins and DNA that can contribute to many serious and chronic diseases, such as cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis

• Fresh fruits and vegetables contain minute amounts of methanol, but there’s a natural mechanism that makes it harmless. Pectin firmly binds to methanol, allowing it to simply pass through your body and be excreted, because the human body does not have the enzymes to break that bond

For more information, check out this link: Toxicology Expert Explains Why Aspartame is so Dangerous to Your Health

Hospital Errors Kill Well Over 180,000 Americans Annually

“Infections, surgical mistakes, and other medical harm contributes to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year, according to projections based on a 2010 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Another 1.4 million are seriously hurt by their hospital care. And those figures apply only to Medicare patients. What happens to other people is less clear because most hospital errors go unreported and hospitals report on only a fraction of things that can go wrong.

‘There is an epidemic of health-care harm,’ says Rosemary Gibson, a patient-safety advocate and author. More than 2.25 million Americans will probably die from medical harm in this decade, she says. ‘That’s like wiping out the entire populations of North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It’s a man-made disaster.’

… ‘Hospitals haven’t given safety the attention it deserves,’ says Peter Pronovost, M.D., senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Nor has the government, he says. ‘Medical harm is probably one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S., but the government doesn’t adequately track it as it does deaths from automobiles, plane crashes, and cancer. It’s appalling.’”-Consumer Reports

I do find it interesting that the same Doctors who will tell you that one can overdose on vitamins are the same ones who will tell you take all kinds of medications loaded with very harmful side effects. Of course they take money/gifts from the pharmaceutical companies, not companies making vitamins. The U.S. spends more money on health care than any other, yet we are barely in the top 50 when it comes to being healthy.

People need to start thinking for themselves and not just do whatever some person they hardly know tells them. The facts speak for themselves, so does history. The medical community has historically been wrong about many, many issues and they tend to mock those who disagree with them (even though it’s the medical community who is wrong over and over again). Just do your research and look into the side effects of all of these medications Doctors are trying to put you on.