Natural Communities Magazine A magazine devoted to the local natural wellness culture.

Drug-induced illnesses are far more common than people, including doctors, would like to think. Elderly Americans suffer 9.6 million adverse drug reactions each year alone, although these symptoms show up in younger patients as well.

Many do not realize these reactions — or “new” disease symptoms — are in fact caused by a drug they’re already taking, as most doctors do not explain possible side-effects to their patients.

For example, these common illnesses can be caused by pharmaceutical drugs:

• Depression — Accutane, Advil, Cipro, Inderal, Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac
• Psychoses/Hallucinations — Benadryl, Celebrex, Dexatrim, Vioxx
• Dementia — Aldomet, Inderal, Tagamet, Xanax
• Parkinsonism — Cardizem, Haldol, Elavil, Risperdal, Thorazine

WorstPills.org

Dr. Mercola’s Comments

If you haven’t read Gary Null’s report Death By Medicine then I would strongly recommend it as it will give you a far deeper appreciation of the scope of this problem and how the entire fatally flawed conventional health system is responsible for 800,000 deaths every year in the US alone.

WorstPills.org is a website that is a helpful tool for understanding the full extent of some of the complications from drugs. It is a great resource as the list of diseases caused by drugs is far too large Gary Null’s report Death By Medicine to include here in its entirety.

Each year 41,000 seniors are hospitalized for ulcers — and some 3,300 of them die — because of their arthritis drugs. 32,000 suffer hip fractures attributable to drug-induced falls, with sleeping pills, antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants leading the pack as the culprits.

Dementia, a sad and growing problem, is caused by sleeping pills, high blood pressure drugs, hormone replacement and antipsychotic drugs. And so many of these drugs are completely unnecessary, and/or prescribed off-label for diseases you don’t have.

Remember - - staying clear of pharmaceutical drugs can, literally, save your life.

The fact of the matter is, nearly everything that drugs are supposed to do can be achieved using safe, natural means which have no side effects other than good health. This includes reducing or eliminating troublesome symptoms, increasing longevity, reducing your weight and lowering your risk of contracting disease — all the things pharmaceutical drugs don’t really do.

If you really want to stay healthy, then it is important to follow the principles on this site. Of course that can be a challenge since I have written nearly 150,000 pages of content over the last ten years. To help you out I recently finished my compilation that will give you the absolute best summary and guidelines to help you achieve your health goals. So please be sure and grab your copy of Take Control of Your Health, so you don’t have to become another modern medicine statistic.

www.mercola.com

231 Main St
La Crosse, WI 54601
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 608-784-6659

Women who use make-up on a daily basis can absorb almost 5 pounds of chemicals into their bodies each year.

Some of the compounds present in make-up have been linked to side effects ranging from skin irritation to cancer.

One class of cosmetic chemicals which could be dangerous are parabens. Traces of parabens have been found in breast tumor samples.

Another chemical, sodium lauryl sulfate, can cause skin irritation.

Nine out of ten women also use out-of-date lipstick and mascara, which can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
Many women use more than 20 different beauty products a day. The effects of these multiple combinations of chemicals are largely unknown.

Telegraph.co.uk June 22, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body.

When you put these chemicals on your skin, however, it is absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so there’s no protection against the toxin. The five pounds of toxic chemicals per year you may be absorbing from the use of toiletries and beauty products are largely going directly to your delicate organs.

It’s no wonder that they have been linked to deadly side effects like cancer. Parabens, which may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216, have shown particularly troubling links to cancer.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health stated nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic. Women are becoming more aware of this issue, and there are more natural cosmetics available today than in years past. But remember that labels do not tell the whole story. For more on how to select natural products, see Not All Natural Beauty Products are Natural.

There are no federal certifications or official guidelines for beauty products, so anyone can claim that such a product is natural or organic. Some “organic” beauty products contain only a single-digit percentage of organic ingredients.

If you want to stay beautiful, it is much better to do it by keeping yourself fit and healthy, rather than covering yourself with toxic chemicals. There are many great natural and safe cosmetic products out there. I hope to highlight some later this year, but in the meantime many of your health food stores are a good start to find them.

Source: www.mercola.com

Dietary Guidelines & Dangers From the Weston A. Price Foundation

Dietary Guidelines

1. Eat whole, natural foods.
2. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.
3. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs.
4. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter, whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream.
5. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and flax oil and the tropical oils—coconut and palm.
6. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed.
7. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients.
8. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.
9. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces.
10. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation.
11. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
12. Use unrefined Celtic seasalt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
13. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil.
14. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder.
15. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
16. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
17. Use only natural supplements.
18. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
19. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress.
20. Practice forgiveness.

Dietary Dangers

1. Don’t eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc.
2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup.
3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
5. Avoid all vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sauteing or baking.
7. Avoid fried foods.
8. Do not practice veganism; animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
9. Avoid products containing protein powders.
10. Avoid pasteurized milk; do not consume lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
11. Avoid battery-produced eggs and factory-farmed meats.
12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage containing MSG and other additives.
13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed, bioengineered or irradiated fruits and vegetables.
15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not so labeled.
16. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Avoid chocolate.
17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or aluminum-containing deodorants.
18. Do not drink fluoridated water.
19. Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them.
20. Do not drink distilled liquors.
21. Do not use a microwave oven.

About the Weston A. Price Foundation

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price’s research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.

The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.

The Foundation seeks to establish a laboratory to test nutrient content of foods, particularly butter produced under various conditions; to conduct research into the “X Factor,” discovered by Dr. Price; and to determine the effects of traditional preparation methods on nutrient content and availability in whole foods.

Source: Weston A. Price Foundation

N7915 902nd St
River Falls, WI 54002
www.healthcentereddentistry.com
 715-426-7777

This is one of the most important posts I have written on health so I want you to carefully read this.

My site has been around for over 10 years and from day one I have been extolling the importance of insulin in nearly all chronic degenerative diseases. Well now we have a landmark study confirming that insulin is the central part of the weight-loss equation.

There are over 200 million Americans who are overweight, and collectively they are carrying around an extra 5 BILLION pounds of excess fat.

What the Boston researchers specifically found was that those who secreted high insulin levels had a far more difficult time losing weight than those who secreted low levels of insulin.

I am very grateful that these researchers produced this landmark confirmation of insulin truth. Unfortunately, they completely blew the interpretation of what they found. So let me help you sort through the researchers’ confusion.

Like most scientists they want to attribute the problem to your genes. They want you to believe that 200 million Americans are heavy because they have flawed genetics that make them hypersecrete insulin.

Folks, nothing could be further from the truth.

The reason 200 million Americans are overweight is not because of flawed genetics that cause them to make excessive insulin. Hypersecretion of insulin is an effect — NOT the cause. The reason 200 million are overweight is because they have impaired insulin receptor sensitivity.

Impaired Insulin Receptor Sensitivity

How do your insulin receptors stop working effectively?

Very simple.

This is a natural consequence that occurs when you don’t exercise and move the way you were designed to. Your body dynamically makes this adjustment because the receptors are not being used. This is very similar to what happens if you lie in bed for a few weeks; your muscles start to atrophy. Some have called this the “use it or lose it” phenomena.

So when your insulin receptors become desensitized the only way your body can adjust is to make MORE insulin. You become an insulin hypersecretor.

Why Is This Important?

Once your body releases insulin it immediately starts to inhibit your fat-burning hormone called hormone-sensitive lipase. This hormone is responsible for releasing fat into your bloodstream to be utilized as fuel. Once this enzyme is inhibited, your body is unable to burn fat and will then begin utilizing amino acids from your muscle and carbohydrates as fuel.

This will cause you to become abnormally hungry, which further feeds this vicious cycle.

The key is to have LOW levels of insulin so your body can produce large amounts of hormone-sensitive lipase and burn fat all day so you can look thin and slim.

You might want to pick up the paper edition of this week’s Time magazine as the online version of How the World Eats only shows one of the pictures from Japan, which for the most part is really healthy food. No wonder they live over 80 years. They show a picture of a family from Chad, which is virtually no food, and then a picture of food for a typical U.S. family.

This is one of the most powerful graphic illustrations as to why the United States has an obesity epidemic. Nearly all of the U.S. food (over 90 percent) was highly processed junk food. Of course, if you shop at a grocery store you probably see this all the time. It is shocking what people are putting into their bodies.

Processed junk foods will absolutely impair your insulin receptor sensitivity.

So What Can You Do?

The bottom line is very simple here, folks. Keep your insulin levels low, very low. You can measure this with an inexpensive blood test that nearly any doctor can draw for you. Your level should be about 2 or 3. The way you lower it to these levels is by exercising, avoiding processed foods and refined carbs, and by eating the appropriate amounts of carbs for your nutritional type.

This is NOT rocket science. If you apply these simple principles you will see dramatic and remarkable improvements not only in your ability to achieve your ideal weight but also in just about every other chronic degenerative disease.

Personally, I think it is criminal malpractice that fasting insulin levels are not aggressively monitored in all cases of cancer and heart disease, because they are central to the causes of both of these diseases.

Time Magazine June 11, 2007

The Journal of the American Medical Association May 16, 2007; 297:2092-2102

Source: www.mercola.com

2501 West 84 st
Bloomington, MN 55431
www.nwhealth.edu
(952) 885-5436

The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth. It’s a myth promoted by a profit-seeking tag-team effort between the cancer industry and the sunscreen industry. The sunscreen industry makes money by selling lotion products that actually contain cancer-causing chemicals. It then donates a portion of that money to the cancer industry through non-profit groups like the American Cancer Society which, in turn, run herart-breaking public service ads urging people to use sunscreen to “prevent cancer.”

The scientific evidence, however, shows quite clearly that sunscreen actually promotes cancer by blocking the body’s absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which produces vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D, as recent studies have shown, prevents up to 77 of ALL cancers in women (breast cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, brain tumors, multiple myeloma… you name it). Meanwhile, the toxic chemical ingredients used in most sunscreen products are actually carcinogenic and have never been safety tested or safety approved by the FDA. They get absorbed right through the skin (a porous organ that absorbs most substances it comes into contact with) and enter the bloodstream.

The benefits of sunscreen are a myth. Proponents say sunscreen prevents sunburn, but in fact, the real cause of sunburn is not merely UV exposure: It is a lack of antioxidant nutrition. Start eating lots of berries and microalgae (spirulina, astaxanthin, blue-green algae, etc.), and you’ll build up an internal sunscreen that will protect your skin from sunburn from the inside out. Sunburn is actually caused by nutritional deficiencies that leave the skin vulnerable to DNA mutations from radiation, but if you boost your nutrition and protect your nervous system with plant-based nutrients, you’ll be naturally resistant to sunburn. The same nutrients, by the way, also protect the optic nerve and eyes from radiation damage. That’s why the consumption of berries and carrots, for example, has historically been associated with healthy eye function. (The same nutrients that protect the eyes also protect the skin.)

Medical nonsense

If sunscreen is so bad for humans, you might ask, then why do so many doctors recommend using it? This might be hard for you to believe, but it wasn’t too long ago that doctors routinely recommended smoking cigarettes, too. The Journal of the American Medical Association, in fact, ran numerous ads promoting Camels as “recommended by more doctors than any other cigarette!” Doctors talked up the “benefits” of smoking cigarettes, urging people to start smoking in order to improve brain function or even — get this — make their teeth stronger!

The truth is doctors are easily influenced by commercial interests and can be readily convinced to recommend practically any product, no matter how toxic, unhealthy or deadly to consumers. Just look at how many doctors wrote prescriptions for Vioxx, for example, after being visited by a Vioxx drug rep pushing it as a “miracle drug” for joint pain.

Also keep in mind that doctor-prescribed medications are the fourth leading cause of death in America today. About 100,000 Americans die each year from following the advice of their doctor. Does it really make any sense to get your health advice from a group of professionals who kill more Americans each year than all the terrorists have ever killed in the history of this country? Besides, doctors know that if they start recommending sunlight and vitamin D, they’ll lose patients and profits because people will start getting well and have no need to keep visiting the doctor. Vitamin D, as you will learn in our free report, The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D, prevents not only cancer, but also diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease and obesity. It’s the miracle nutrient of the millennium, and yet the entire medical profession tries desperately to pretend that vitamin D has no biological function whatsoever. Hence the support of sunscreen (the anti-vitamin D product).

Sunscreen directly promotes vitamin D deficiency. You show me a person who regularly uses sunscreen, and I’ll show you a person who’s on the road towards cancer and other degenerative diseases. People who use sunscreen are killing themselves and they don’t even know it!

The sunscreen marketing con

The marketing of sunscreen is another great example of consumer product companies fabricating a need in order to sell a high-profit product made mostly with toxic chemicals. There is no need for sunscreen, but the cancer industry and sunscreen manufacturers have created a fictitious need through a campaign of fear and disinformation, hypnotizing practically the entire population into believing one of the most ridiculous ideas in the universe: that sunlight is bad for human health.

Think about it. Our ancestors did not have indoor lighting; they exposed their skin to the sun regularly. They didn’t run and hide from the sun, they used it as nourishment to generate a crucial vitamin that supports human health in a multitude of ways. The idea that “the sun is bad for you” makes about as much sense as “water is bad for you” or “the Earth is flat.” This persistent myth was invented, marketed and publicized by an industry that profits from a gullible public believing demonstrable falsehoods.

But why would the cancer industry go along with the deception, you might ask? Because the continued commercial success of the cancer industry depends on more people getting cancer. In previous articles, I’ve clearly shown that the cancer industry has no interest whatsoever in preventing cancer. The industry, in fact, takes steps to interfere with prevention efforts and thereby ensure the growth in the number of future cancer patients.

The American Cancer Society, for example, still will not recommend that anyone take vitamin D supplements, even though the vitamin can prevent nearly 4 out of 5 cancers. The cancer industry simply has no interest in preventing cancer. It is only interested in treating cancer and profiting from those treatments. (That’s why genuine cancer cures have been routinely suppressed, censored or discredited in the United States.)
The promotion of sunscreen products is a way for the cancer industry to ensure future profits from the treatment of cancer. The more people use sunscreen products, the more they’ll get cancer. And that’s due to two primary reasons: 1) Sunscreen blocks vitamin D production, a nutrient that strongly prevents cancer, and 2) Sunscreen products almost always contain cancer-causing chemicals that are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream where they cause severe DNA damage, leading to cancer.

Seven important questions about sunscreen

The next time you see some public service advertisement urging you to smother yourself and your children with sunscreen chemicals, think hard before taking action. Ask yourself these seven commonsense questions:

1) Is the sun really dangerous to humans? If so, how did humans survive for the last 350,000 years on planet Earth?

2) Have the chemicals used in sunscreen products ever been safety tested or approved by the FDA? (The answer is no.)

3) Who financially benefits when you keep buying and using sunscreen products?

4) What is the environmental impact of sunscreen chemicals washing off into the ocean, a lake, a swimming pool or being washed down the drain in your shower?

5) Sunscreen manufacturers say the skin doesn’t absorb their chemicals. If that’s true, then how do nicotine patches work? How do transdermal drugs get absorbed through the skin if sunscreen chemicals don’t? (Answer: ALL these chemicals get absorbed through the skin. The skin is not selective about what it chooses to absorb.)

6) If the sun is so dangerous, then why is the vitamin generated by sunlight (vitamin D) so healthy for humans? Why would humans evolve a mechanism for generating a vitamin from sunlight if we weren’t supposed to be exposed to sunlight in the first place?

7) If sunlight is so dangerous, then why is virtually every living creature on planet Earth dependent on sunlight for survival? Plants use sunlight to generate their nutrition, too, and most animals eat either plants or other animals that originally ate plants. Nearly all life on planet Earth is powered by sunlight. Why does the cancer industry believe sunlight causes death when, in reality, sunlight delivers life?

Once you answer these questions, the reality of the situation becomes obvious: Sunlight is good for you, and sunscreen is a hoax.

Action items

Be sure to read our free report on this: The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D. This provides tips on how to safely gauge your level of exposure to sunlight. Don’t just rush out and get burned; boost your nutrition and work up a natural tan as nature intended.

See the article: Vitamin D slashes cancer risk by 77 percent.

Visit our topic page on Vitamin D.

If you choose to buy sunscreen, only buy natural sunscreen products containing no petrochemicals! One brand I recommend is Caribbean Blue Natural Basics “Sun Shield.” You can find more at www.gocaribbeanblue.com

Smearing berries on your skin also works as a natural sunscreen, as does smearing aloe vera gel on your skin. Amazon Herb Co. distributors use a product called Camu C Serum as a natural suncreen. It works great! http://www.amazondreams.amazonherb.net

The best sunscreen, however, is an internal sunscreen built with nutrition. Eat chlorella, spirulina, goji berries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, astaxanthin, carrots and nutrient-rich superfoods to boost your skin’s natural UV protection (takes about 30 days of nutrition to boost skin levels).

About the author:

Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health. He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies’ products. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He’s also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known on the ‘net as ‘the Health Ranger,’ Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org

Research from a British university suggests that sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s.

When a UK professor of molecular biology and biotechnology tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells, he discovered that it was damaging important DNA in the cells’ mitochondria.

Mitochondria serve as the “power stations” for cells, and damage to them can lead to serious cell malfunctions associated with aging and age-related disease. The damage caused by sodium benzoate was great enough to cause the mitochondria to stop functioning.

Sodium benzoate occurs naturally in berries in small amounts, but is used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks such as Sprite, Diet Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.

The Independent May 27, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

I am still shocked every time I reflect on the fact that the number one source of calories in America comes from soda. To me it is an absolutely mind-boggling fact. Of course, all I have to do to knock my senses back to reality is go to a standard grocery store on a busy weekend and see what people are stuffing in their shopping carts.

We clearly have a long way to go to share even the most fundamental, basic nutrition concepts to the typical highly deceived and manipulated consumer. This new danger from sodium benzoate is simply one among many, as sodas are among the worst possible “foods” you can consume.

Professor Peter Piper, the UK expert who discovered the problem, says that the soft drink preservative can “totally inactivate” and “knock out” cells’ mitochondria. The end result is an increased risk of a slew of diseases.

Sodium benzoate has previously also come under fire because, when combined with the vitamin C in many soft drinks, it forms benzene, a cancer-causing chemical linked to leukemia. In one study, at least five brands of soft drinks were found to contain excessive benzene levels.

Sodium benzoate is used freely in the United States and the UK. Fortunately, you can protect your health from this dangerous substance by not drinking soda (and not allowing your kids to either).

This is one of the easiest — and most significant — things you can do for your health; and aside from the good news that you won’t have to worry about damaging your DNA, giving up soda (if you drink it) can reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

So put down the can of soda, and pick up a glass of clean water instead.

Source: www.mercola.com

The widely used diabetes drug Avandia has been linked to a greater risk of heart attack and possibly death. The U.S. government has issued a safety alert, and the FDA urged diabetics taking the pill to talk to their doctors, although they have not required a stronger warning label for the drug.

An analysis pooling the results of several dozen studies, encompassing some 28,000 patients, showed that Avandia causes a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack. GlaxoSmithKline, the drug’s manufacturer, downplayed the risks, saying that the analysis is not definitive scientific proof.

However, several experts have said that Avandia is another example of the FDA failing to detect a safety problem early enough.

Avandia helps sensitize the body to insulin; when it first came on the market, it was considered a breakthrough medication for blood-sugar control. More than 6 million people have taken the drug in the eight years it has been available.

New England Journal of Medicine May 21, 2007 (Free Full-Text Study)
San Francisco Chronicle May 21, 2007
Yahoo News May 21, 2007

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

If you’ve been feeling slightly better lately about the FDA’s more recent decisions regarding drug safety, don’t let your guard down for a second. It looks like Avandia could be another Vioxx in the making. The heart problems caused by Avandia (as well as its possible connection to liver failure) are dangers that consumer groups have been warning about for years, to no avail.

Now, it is bad enough that people are choosing drugs as solutions for their health challenges, but it borders on reprehensible irresponsibility when they do it for a disease that is virtually 100 percent curable with SIMPLE lifestyle changes.

Yes, you read correctly.

Eliminating type 2 diabetes, the type that affects over 95 percent of diabetics, is not rocket science. By using exercise as a drug, eating right for your nutritional type and eliminating sugars and processed foods it is the rare person who cannot annihilate diabetes.

So I find it particularly appalling when physicians foolishly advise people to take these absolutely unnecessary drugs. They are abrogating their responsibility as teachers, coaches and mentors to their patients.

Of course, even with the Vioxx debacle (bungled badly by a greedy Merck) still fresh in the minds of many folks, GlaxoSmithKline is disputing the results … although the results of a similar review by the company itself uncovered a 30 percent climb in the incidence of heart attack, according to a report submitted to the FDA last year.

The FDA didn’t act on this information, of course, until issuing the very recent “safety alert” — just another example proving that the agency always looks out for its real constituents, the multi-national drugmaker cartel, at the expense of your health.

Bottom line?

Understand that oral drugs for type 2 diabetes are completely unnecessary if you’re willing to make some simple lifestyle changes. If you are on them currently then you need to find a knowledgeable physician who can help you wean off of them.

They will help you eliminate sugars and processed foods from your daily diet, get plenty of exercise, and eat the foods your body burns best, according to its unique nutritional type. Once you achieve these lifestyle changes your diabetes will disappear and never return unless you slip back into old patterns.

Source: www.mercola.com