Western Diet Boosts Global Heart Attack Risk 30%

But study also finds 'Oriental' pattern little benefit either way because of salty sauces

The fried foods, salty snacks and meats that are staples of the Western diet account for about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report suggests. Meanwhile, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the so-called "Prudent" diet, is tied a low risk of heart attack, according to the study, published in the Oct. 21 issue of Circulation. The research, which looked at dietary habits in 52 countries, found people who ate a Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having a heart attack compared to those who ate little or no fried foods and meat. Those who followed a "Prudent" diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those who went light on fruits and vegetables. The authors also looked at an "Oriental" diet, rich in tofu, soy and other sauces, and found it did not increase or decrease the risk of a heart attack. Previous studies have reached similar conclusions about the "Prudent" and Western diet in the United States and Europe, but did not include the Oriental pattern of eating. While some components of the Oriental diet may protect against heart trouble, the higher sodium content of sauces counter that benefit. "This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world," study senior author Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University and director of the Population Health Research Institute at Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, said in an American Heart Association news release. The Canadian researchers analyzed risk factors in food choices and the risk of heart attack in about 16,000 people in 52 countries. Almost 6,000 people had heart attacks, while the rest had no known heart disease. More information Source: The American Heart Association

Teeth Health and Blood Sugar

People with diabetes often have chronic gum disease, which may affect blood sugar levels. You should have your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year because you have a much higher risk of developing gum disease than people without diabetes.

Gum disease results from the formation of plaque underneath the gum line after eating. Plaque hardens into tartar, which irritates the gums and gradually erodes the underlying bone that holds the teeth in place. Thus, gum disease can lead to the need for dentures. Daily dental care can prevent gum disease from starting. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristle brush and floss daily. Flossing removes food from between the teeth and plaque from the gum line.

Reprinted from What to Expect When You Have Diabetes. Copyright by Good Books

Why Use Vaccine for HPV When Green Tea Works?

A botanical ointment containing a green tea extract called sinecatechins is an effective treatment for external genital and anal warts, according to the results of a controlled study. Genital and anal warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), and there has been a lack of effective, well tolerated treatments. Researchers assigned over 500 adults with 30 warts to either sinecatechins ointment or a placebo. In the sinecatechins groups, warts cleared completely in roughly 57 percent of patients, compared to just 34 percent of subjects in the control group. Sources: Reuters June 6, 2008 Obstetrics and Gynecology, June 2008; 111(6):1371-1379 There are more than 100 types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Of them, only 10-30 can cause cervical cancer. The rest can lead to skin infections that cause genital warts or common warts on your hands and feet. Although these are very common viruses, and an estimated 25 million Americans have HPV infections, there’s actually little cause for alarm because, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “In 90 percent of cases, your body’s immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years.” This is true whether the infection is the type that can cause warts or cancer.   And as you will see, simple alternatives exist in lieu of more dangerous alternatives to battle this common virus. The Many Healing Powers of Green Tea Green tea catechins are a class of polyphenols, which are naturally occurring antioxidants. The health benefits of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) -- the main active component of tea polyphenol's biological activity – are plentiful, including the prevention of: Alzheimer’s disease High blood lipid Arteriosclerosis Cerebral thrombus Prostate cancer Heart attack and stroke Other research has found that you can increase the benefits of drinking green tea by adding vitamin Cas it boosts the amount of catechins available for your body to absorb. In fact, citrus juice increased available catechin levels by more than five times, causing 80 percent of tea's catechins to remain bioavailable. Green tea has even been found to have fat-burning properties, and now we can add topical green tea catechins for the treatment of genital warts to the growing list of its healing and health-inducing properties.  Which is a great thing considering the unacceptable -- to me, and many other natural health experts -- alternative of the HPV vaccine.  Do You Understand the Risks of the HPV Vaccine? The marketers of Merck’s HPV vaccine Gardasil would like you to believe that getting your daughter vaccinated can save her from HPV related illnesses like cervical cancer and genital warts.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  First of all, the Gardasil vaccine contains just four types of HPV out of the more than 100 strains. If you contract one of the 96+ types that aren’t included, you’re out of luck. And, if you’ve already been exposed to one of the four types of virus in the vaccine, it doesn’t work against those either.  So, even if you accept the risks and get vaccinated, your chances of getting some form of HPV arestill very high. Whether or not the HPV virus will lead to genital warts or cervical cancer, however, depends in large part on the state of your immune system. Personally, I don’t see how the mediocre-at-best benefits of Gardasil could possibly outweigh its risks.  As of last October, 3,461 complaints about Gardasil had been filed with the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Report System (VAERS), and 11 girls had died after exposure to the vaccine.   I just checked the VAERS database as I sat down to write this article, and it now contains 6,760 adverse event reports, and 16 deaths. The numbers just continue to get worse.  Get a Clue!!   In my neck of the woods they call this increase a giant clue.  So if you haven’t already figured out to avoid this vaccine you will want to do more homework. Another point to consider is that you can’t sue the vaccine manufacturer if your child dies.  These companies have cleverly manipulated the government so they are immune from prosecution and have made the U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for the hundreds of millions of dollars that are paid out to families of children who are harmed or killed every year from vaccines.   Even though it is incredibly difficult -- nearly impossible -- to get one of these payments, there have already been more than $1.5 billion dollars given to affected families. So ponder on these stats if you haven’t already taken a firm position on the vaccine issue.  How Does HPV Vaccine Kill?   The causes of death include blood clots, acute respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and “sudden death” due to “unknown causes” shortly after receiving the vaccine. Clearly, no one knows the full extent of the biological harm that this vaccine inflicts. But I think most people would agree that teenagers don’t normally drop dead of natural causes. Even more disturbing is the fact that these numbers don’t seem to shock or dismay officials. They’re “consistent with those expected from any vaccine.”  According to the American Cancer Society, some 3,870 women will die from cervical cancer in the U.S. in 2008. Well. We’ve already lost 16 girls, some as young as 12, in the effort to spare them from the possibility of cervical cancer later in life.   Surely I’m not the only one who sees that as morally reprehensible! And how many people have everdied from genital warts?  Cervical Cancer Virtually 100% Avoidable Cervical cancer is well documented to be caused by an infection acquired through sexual contact. So it is behaviorally avoidable. According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent, offering FAR better protection than Gardasil. According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. More than 6 million women contract it annually, yet as I already mentioned, less than 3,900 women die from cervical cancer out of those 6 million. Why? Because your immune system is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases. Rather than subjecting your daughter (and now possibly your son!) to this unnecessary and potentially dangerous vaccine, you may want to nip the problem in the bud before it ever starts. Here’s how: Recognize that cervical cancer (or any cancer) is not caused by a “vaccine deficiency.” Talk to your kids about HPV. This infection is sexually transmitted, so it is 100 percent preventable through lifestyle choices. Realize the power of your emotions. An emerging school of thought called German New Medicine (GNM) shows how specific stressful events or “conflict shocks” trigger cancer and other diseases in your body. Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, who developed GNM, believes that cancer is a phase that occurs while your body heals itself from this emotional trauma, and that the key to overcoming the disease lies in resolving your emotional conflicts.  Keep your immune system strong. A healthy immune system is better able to handle a heavier emotional and physical stress load. The ideal healthy habits to keep your body and mind strong are detailed in these 12 changes that will cut your cancer risk in half. Dr. Mercola's Comments  32 Girls Have Died

HPV Vaccine Dangers

Prominent Scientist Warns of HPV Vaccine Dangers

Independent health researcher Grace Filby, who won a Churchill Fellowship for her research into phage therapy, is calling on the government for more research into the possible side-effects of the HPV vaccine that is currently being given to teenage girls.  Filby believes that not enough is known about the effects of the vaccine on children with pre-existing medical conditions and weakened immune systems. She says, "We simply do not know whether the vaccine interacts with other medication or medical conditions, and the manufacturers have not studied it yet. This could be a very valid reason why some families and schools might hesitate or opt out."  She has this week written to UK education ministers and health officials calling for urgent small-scale independent studies that would highlight any health problems stemming from vaccinations already carried out. Sources: Medical News Today October 1, 2008 Dr. Mercola's Comments: According to the CDC, the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. More than 6 million women contract it annually, yet cervical cancer claims less than 3,900 women – most of which are due to not getting regular Pap smears. In the U.K., cervical cancer claims a mere 400 lives per year. Why is your risk of dying from cervical cancer so low? Because your immune system is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases. The CDC even admits to this fact on their website. And, as long as you’re getting regular PAP smears, cervical cancer can be caught in its early, and easily treatable, stages. So, the question begs to be asked: WHY is the HPV vaccine being pushed so vigorously when: it prevents a type of cancer that is very rare to begin with it protects against a virus that, 98 percent of the time, is not the cause of cervical cancer it prevents a type of cancer that can be easily caught and treated by promoting regular gynecological exams it  offers less protection than what promotion of safe sex practices could accomplish it is promoted to girls years before becoming sexually active, even though the vaccine may only offer about three years worth of protection  it prevents just 4 out of more than 100 strains of HPV; all of which your body can clear up on its own in 90 percent of all cases anyway it has NOT been proven safe. No one knows if it can cause cancer or infertility, for example And why would the feds go so far as to add Gardasil to the list of vaccinations that all female immigrants ages 11 to 26 MUST get before they can obtain a green card? We’re not dealing with potential import of bubonic plague here… According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent, offering FAR better protection than Gardasil, for example. The HPV vaccine is a total head-scratcher of a mystery as far as what its ultimate purpose is, because “curing the rampant health disaster of cervical cancer” is certainly NOT it. And since when do we have to be vaccinated against cancer in order to be let into a country? Does the HPV Vaccine LITERALLY Mean “One Less”? Marketing geniuses are known to play on words and create slogans with quirky double meanings, and if you’ve been tracking the concerns raised about the potential hazards of Gardasil and Cervarix, the potential for these HPV vaccines to cause infertility – whether purposely or inadvertently – is being heard with ever increasing frequency. The federal government's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has received over 9,000 reports of problems since the vaccine's introduction in 2006, which include at least 28 spontaneous abortions, and 27 deaths. Is it possible that Gardasil’s cry to fame, ‘One Less’, is turning out to be nothing but a sick, ironic play on words? Anti-Fertility Vaccines The World Health Organization (WHO) and its subsidiaries have been actively researching and funding the development of contraceptive / anti-fertility vaccines that prevent full-term pregnancies to take place, for over 20 years. There’s even a Task Force on Birth Control Vaccines of the WHO! However, no anti-fertility vaccine has ever been placed on the market and promoted as such as of yet. Instead, as described in a 1993 journal paper published in The British Medical Bulletin, anti-fertility vaccines were being engineered “incorporating tetanus or diphtheria toxoid linked to a variety of hCG-based peptides.” The authors of this article state, "The fundamental principle behind this approach to contraceptive vaccine development is to prevent the maternal recognition of pregnancy by inducing a state of immunity against hGC, the hormone that signals the presence of the embryo to the maternal endocrine system.” Free tetanus vaccines that were offered to young women of childbearing age for years in countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, Mexico, and the Philippines, were found to contain human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), which causes spontaneous abortions if the woman becomes pregnant. While the woman is not technically sterilized, once injected with hCG, she may never be able to carry a child full term thereafter. HCG-containing anti-fertility vaccines have also been pursued for more than two decades by the Indian National Institute of Immunology, and The Population Council of the Rockefeller University, among others. In fact, there are no less than 50 research papers detailing research on “contraceptive vaccines” in the PubMed database. One disturbing paper published in the FASEB Journal in 1993 states: “… we initiated studies relating to possible mechanisms of action and potential side effects of this vaccine, which should be relevant to world-wide regulation of population growth.” So again, why the frantic push for the HPV vaccine, created for young, fertile women, when there’s NO solid, rational basis for its use? Massive Brazilian Vaccination Program Raises Suspicions of Covert Sterilization Plans A much more recent case of illogical mass vaccinations against a minor health problem is that of the massive, mandatory vaccination program in Brazil, which has raised suspicions among international pro-life activists, who note that the program is similar to other vaccination programs in recent years that have included a hidden sterilizing agent in the vaccines. The campaign to “annihilate rubella” began in early August this year, mandating rubella vaccinations for all women ages 12 to 49, and 12 to 39 for men; a total of 70 million people, despite the fact that only 17 Brazilian children per year suffer birth defects from the disease. Adolfo Castañeda of Human Life International notes that just two years ago, researchers found that the rubella vaccine used in a similar campaign in Argentina was laced with human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). “The suspicion that brought about the investigation [into the rubella vaccine] was caused by the fact that there were very few cases of the disease in Argentina, which didn’t merit a large-scale campaign,” Castañeda said, adding, “The ages for women are the same as those who received the vaccines in Nicaragua, where they included a hormone that sterilizes the woman who receives it, and similar to the age of those who received another sterilizing hormone in the Philippines.” Polysorbate-80 – One Less Mouse, Researchers Found Now, let me state clearly that there’s no proof of hCG being present in any of the current HPV vaccines. I am merely playing devil’s advocate as I examine the similarities between these other irrational vaccination programs in other countries for relatively minor public health concerns -- that turn out to have far more sinister agendas than mere greed – compared to the fervent, irrational push behind the HPV vaccine here in the U.S. However, Gardasil does contain Polysorbate-80 – a surfactant used in pharmacology to deliver certain drugs or chemical agents across the blood-brain barrier -- which has been linked to infertility in mice. Researchers Gajdova et.al. found that administration of Polysorbate-80 decreased the weight of the uterus and ovaries, and caused chronic estrogenic stimulation. The ovaries of the mice were also without corpora lutea (a mass of progesterone-secreting endocrine tissue that forms immediately after ovulation) and had degenerative follicles. So what might the estrogenic effects of Polysorbate-80 be on pre-adolescent girls and pregnant women? Anti-Fertility Vaccine Ingredient Also Has Clinical Application in Cancer Vaccines… A potential coincidence I find most disturbing is some of the more recent research detailing the use of hCG, and other molecules, in vaccines against hCG-producing cancers, such as – certain cervical cancers. One 2005 paper titled, Recent advances in contraceptive vaccine development: a mini-reviewpublished in the journal Human Reproduction concludes: “At the present time, studies are focused on increasing the immunogenicity and efficacy of the birth control vaccine, and examining its clinical applications in various HCG-producing cancers.” But research published just a few months ago in the journal Molecular Cancer states that the free β-subunit of hCG (hCGβ) – which was originally considered biologically non-functional -- has recently been shown to stimulate tumor growth, and lead to more aggressive tumors that are more resistant to therapy. Again, I’m mentioning all of this because it just goes to show that pharmaceutical companies have little or no clue of the extent of harm these vaccines might cause, especially long-term. Something believed to be completely non-functional or harmless can turn out to be a MAJOR cause for concern after more thorough investigation. For example, Gardasil also contains L-histadine, and histamines have been found to increase clot production five-fold when combined with, guess what? Surfactants! (L-histidine can also pass through your placental wall to your fetus.)  Granted, this laboratory investigative report titled Surfactants Attenuate Gas Embolism-induced Thrombin Production used surfactants like Perftoran, not Polysorbate-80, in their trials, but could Polysorbate-80 have a similar effect? Could this explain why death from blood clots within hours or days is the MOST COMMON form of death after receiving Gardasil? The HPV vaccine clearly has a lot of questions left to be answered. And those questions should be answered BEFORE pushing Gardasil on an unsuspecting public at the rate that it’s being done. Be One Less to Get Gardasil I think this would be a more appropriate message to send out to young women: There is absolutely no reason to risk the serious side effects of this vaccine to prevent an infection that goes away on its own 90 percent of the time. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll be protected anyway, since you can still get HPV once you’ve had the vaccine. It’s really a no-win situation for those who receive it.  Of course, you can radically reduce your risk of getting HPV in the first place if you follow safe-sex practices, or wait to have sex until you’re in a committed relationship. Then, keep your immune system in tip-top shape, and it will be more than able to shake any HPV virus that comes its way. Gosh sometimes you really have to wonder what has happened to our common sense.  We have been sold down the river by the pharmaceutical companies and our governement that has allowed this.... and we keep buying it.  When I first heard about this I thought how crazy!  Who would ever allow their child to have this vaccine.  We not only chose to give our children this vaccine, we allowed who states to mandate it. Related Articles: 32 Girls Have Died

Be Very Aware During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"As you may know, October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Women who test positive for mutations in BRCA1 genes have up to an 87% chance of developing breast cancer, and a 44% chance of developing ovarian cancer by the age of 70.

"As with other genetic mutation diseases..., when there is a test for the mutation, do you want to know your fate? Many vote "no," and I find that amazing. I understand the fear that goes along with realizing you are at significantly higher risk or actually have a potentially devastating disease, but knowledge is power, and prophylaxis and treatment lower your risk of having the worst come to bear." 

Tulsi - Part of India'a Spiritual and Wellness Culture

In India, the Tulsi herb has been widely known for its health-promoting properties -- for body, mind, and spirit for over 5000 years.

Commonly called "sacred" or "holy basil," Tulsi is a principle herb of Ayurveda, India's ancient holistic health system. Ayurveda means "knowledge of life" -- with herbs lying at the very heart of Ayurvedic practice.

Ayurvedic knowledge grew out of the wisdom of ancient rishis (sages) and yogis of India, and initially passed by word of mouth.

Herbs like Tulsi are at the heart of India's holistic health system.

Apparently, this tradition continued for many generations until the earliest known written texts around 5000 BC.

The Rigveda became the first documented scientific record of Ayurveda. Rig means "in verses" and veda means "book of infinite knowledge."

The Rigveda emphasized the importance of herbs for optimal health and well-being.

The ancient rishis ensured the integration of Tulsi into daily life by incorporating it into religious rituals. In this way, people at all levels of Indian society routinely consumed Tulsi for health benefits during worship in their temples and homes.*

Today, Indians worship Tulsi as a sacred plant. It is a part of Indian households, typically grown in earthen pots in the family home or garden.

The Worst Cereals in the World

Some breakfast cereals currently being marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight, according to Consumer Reports. A single serving of 11 popular cereals, including Kellogg's Honey Smacks, can carry as much sugar as a glazed doughnut. And some brands have even more sugar and sodium when formulated for the U.S. market than the same brands have when sold in other countries. Post's Golden Crisp and Kellogg's Honey Smacks are both more than 50 percent sugar by weight, while nine brands are at least 40 percent sugar. Parents and Consumers, in general, need to be diligent and need to read the labels. Sources: Consumer Reports October 1, 2008

Avoid Flu Shots - One Vitamin Will Stop Flu in its Tracks

“Why expose yourself and your family to the dangers of an ineffective vaccine when the solution is right outside your door?” 

Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin that Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks  Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin that Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks

 Another influenza season is beginning, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will strongly urge Americans to get a flu shot. In fact, the CDC mounts a well-orchestrated campaign each season to generate interest and demand for flu shots.

But a recent study published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu appeared to have no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons.

At first glance, the data did suggest that children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years derived some protection from vaccination in these years. But after adjusting for potentially relevant variables, the researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.

Additionally, a Group Health study found that flu shots do not protect elderly people against developing pneumonia -- the primary cause of death resulting as a complication of the flu. Others have questioned whether there is any mortality benefit with influenza vaccination. Vaccination coverage among the elderly increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now, but there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza or pneumonia.

There is some evidence that flu shots cause Alzheimer’s disease, most likely as a result of combining mercury with aluminum and formaldehyde. Mercury in vaccines has also been implicated as a cause of autism. 

Three other serious adverse reactions to the flu vaccine are joint inflammation and arthritis, anaphylactic shock (and other life-threatening allergic reactions), and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralytic autoimmune disease.

One credible hypothesis that explains the seasonal nature of flu is that influenza is a vitamin D deficiency disease. 

Vitamin D levels in your blood fall to their lowest point during flu seasons. Unable to be protected by the body’s own antibiotics (antimicrobial peptides) that are released by vitamin D, a person with a low vitamin D blood level is more vulnerable to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections.

Studies show that children with rickets, a vitamin D-deficient skeletal disorder, suffer from frequent respiratory infections, and children exposed to sunlight are less likely to get a cold. The increased number of deaths that occur in winter, largely from pneumonia and cardiovascular diseases, are most likely due to vitamin D deficiency.

Unfortunately, now, for the first time, flu vaccination is also being pushed for virtually all children -- not just those under 5.

This is a huge change. Previously, flu vaccine was recommended only for youngsters under 5, who can become dangerously ill from influenza. This year, the government is recommending that children from age 6 months to 18 years be vaccinated, expanding inoculations to 30 million more school-age children.

The government argues that while older children seldom get as sick as the younger ones, it's a bigger population that catches flu at higher rates, so the change should cut missed school, and parents' missed work when they catch the illness from their children.

Of course, this policy ignores the fact that a systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo.

 

Back in 2005, The Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all children between 6 months and 5 years old receive flu shots each year. Now they have expanded their guidelines to include children up to 18 years, which means everyone except those between the ages of 19-49, who are in good health, are urged to get a flu shot.

It should come as no surprise to find out that a majority of the ACIP members who came up with these guidelines have financial ties to the vaccine industry, and stand to gain personally for every additional person getting a yearly injection. It’s actually the only explanation that makes any sense for recommendations as insane as these.

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

There are three major reasons why this government push to vaccinate 84 percent of the U.S. population with a yearly flu vaccine is so incomprehensible: 

1. The majority of flu shots contain 25 micrograms of mercury; an amount considered unsafe for anyone weighing less than 550 pounds! And which groups are most sensitive to the neurological damage that has been associated with mercury? Infants, children, and the elderly.

2. No studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, yet this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

3. If you get a flu shot, you can still get the flu (or flu-like symptoms). This is because it only protects against certain strains, and it’s anyone’s guess which flu viruses will be in your area.  

So why would you take a flu shot – EVERY YEAR -- that has NEVER been proven to be effective, that can give you the very illness you’re trying to prevent, and has potential long-term side effects that are far worse than the flu itself?

The powers that be have done an excellent job of instilling fear into the population so they believe that they must get a shot to stay healthy, but the simple reality is it’s doing you more harm than good.

And, even if the flu vaccine could effectively prevent the flu, there have been several examples in past years where government health officials have chosen the incorrect influenza strains for that year’s vaccine.  In 2004, the National Vaccine Information Center described how CDC officials told everyone to line up for a flu shot that didn't even contain the influenza strain causing most of the flu that year.

Two-Thirds of This Year’s Flu Vaccines Contain a Full-Dose of Mercury

According to Dr. Donald Miller, MD, two-thirds of this year’s flu vaccines contain 25 micrograms of thimerosal. Thimerosal is 49 percent mercury by weight.

Each dose of these flu vaccines contains more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous ingredients like:

• Formaldehyde -- a known cancer-causing agent
• Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease
• Triton X-100 -- a detergent
• Phenol (carbolic acid)
• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
• Various antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin – which can cause allergic reactions in some people

The Evidence Against Flu Vaccines

For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines – if nothing else, then for the simple reason that they don’t work, and don’t offer any real benefit to offset their inherent health risks. For example:

• A brand new study published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.
• A study published in the Lancet just two months ago found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This supports a study done five years ago, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. 
• Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last month also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.
•  Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”  
• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

Published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, the hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D actually makes a lot of sense.

They raise the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency!

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

How to Prepare For Flu Season Without Getting a Flu Shot

I often find that some of the simplest explanations are the truest, and this sounds about as simple as it gets. And, getting appropriate amounts of sunshine (or taking a vitamin D supplement when you can’t get healthy amounts of sun exposure) is one of my KEY preventive strategies against the cold and flu, as it has such a strengthening effect on your immune system.

Interestingly, last week the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommended dose of vitamin D.  Unfortunately this is still a woefully inadequate recommendation as the dose should be TEN times larger. Rather than going from 200 to 400 units per day, it should have increased to about 2,000 units per day.

For most of you reading this it is “vitamin D winter,” which means there simply isn’t enough sunshine to make significant amounts of vitamin D, so you will need to use a tanning bed or take oral supplements.

Although supplements are clearly inferior to sunlight or safe tanning beds, I am becoming more convinced of the value of vitamin D supplements as they are less potentially toxic than my initial impression, and they are certainly more convenient and less expensive than a tanning bed.

For those in the winter with no or very limited exposure to sunshine, 4,000-5,000 units per day would seem appropriate for most adults. If you are very heavy you may need to double that dose, and for children the dose can be half that.

The key though is to make sure you monitor your vitamin D levels by blood testing, to make sure your levels are therapeutic and not toxic.

I advocate getting your vitamin D levels tested regularly, but as I reported recently, you now need to beware of where you’re getting your test done. For an in-depth explanation of what you MUST know before you get tested, please read my updated article Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

You can also use vitamin D therapeutically to TREAT the flu. But please understand that if you are taking the above doses of vitamin D the odds of you getting the flu are VERY remote.  The dose of vitamin D you can use would be 2,000 units per kilogram of body weight (one pound is 0.45 kg).  The dose would be taken once a day for three days. 

This could be a very large dose if you were very heavy (2-300,000 units per day)  This is the dose that Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, has been using very successfully for a number of years.

I have not received a flu shot nor had the flu in over 20 years. Here are the other “secrets” I use to keep the flu (and other illnesses) at bay:

• Eat right for your nutritional type, including avoiding sugar
• Eliminate sugar from your diet
• Eat garlic regularly
• Consume a high-quality krill oil daily
• Exercise 
• Get adequate sleep
• Address emotional stress 
• Wash your hands regularly (but not excessively)

Another useful supplement you could try, should you come down with a case of the flu, is olive leaf extract, which you can find in most any health food store.

Olive leaf extract has been found to be a potent broad-spectrum antiviral agent, active against all viruses tested, including numerous strains of influenza and para-influenza viruses.

Dr. Mercola