HEAL: The pink-ribbon campaign's dirty little secret - Dr. Wm Campbell Douglass, II, M.D.

Interesting and by my research (I am not an expert) seems to be true. Cancer is something we all worry about, with reasons, and this should be taken into consideration.

Stop helping the pharmacological business at your own expense. As is being proved,  the majority only care about their money making.

I have posted a great many emails on this one topic -  Perhaps reading it as written by someone with *credentials* will reach thru to some folks.

Once again - I include the link to how one woman cured her body of third stage breast cancer by her DIET -  not a bunch of PINK T-SHIRTS AND RIBBONS.

2007 was a big year for Kim Tinkham - in February she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, in March she appeared on Oprah to discuss her decision to treat cancer by alternative means and in November she found out the cancer was gone...
Read more...

For Kim’s story in her own words, a list of books, movies and resources she used during her journey, as well as an excerpt from her book, “Cancer Angel,” visit www.cancerangel.com

Hat tip to Deb for this item:

Daily Dose with William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

WC Douglass, M.D. [ mailto:realhealth@healthiernews.com]
Monday, October 25, 2010 7:16 AM
Daily Dose - The pink-ribbon campaign's dirty little secret

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The pink-ribbon campaign's dirty little secret

Here's what October smells like: burning leaves, pumpkin pie and BS.
That's because it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is practically a national holiday at this point -- and if you don't join the "in" crowd and slap a pink ribbon on whatever you're wearing, you're treated like some kind of cold-blooded breast-hating monster.
But those pink ribbons don't exist to cure disease or save lives -- they represent a Big Pharma-funded effort to drive millions of women through a funnel of screenings for a disease many don't even have, and treatments that most of them don't even need.

In fact, the supposed benefits of all those screenings and treatments are about as real as the Great Pumpkin -- and the numbers prove it every time.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is now 26 years old. In the 26 years since it was launched by AstraZeneca to help sell the company's cancer drugs, it's been a wild success -- for AstraZeneca and anyone else who makes money off cancer screenings and treatments.
But when it comes to saving lives and curing disease, it's been a miserable failure. Up to 15 lives are ruined with unnecessary and deforming breast-chopping surgeries and poisonous radiation treatments for every life "saved."

And even then, there's no guarantee that the one life "saved" was actually the result of early detection and brutal mainstream treatments -- because plenty of them were actually CAUSED by the radioactive and tumor-bursting screenings in the first place.

There's something you won't hear anywhere else this month!
The LA Times -- and kudos to them for this -- recently asked AstraZeneca if maybe Breast Cancer Awareness Month wasn't all it cracked up to be.

"If it's not broken, I don't think we should try and fix it," was all a spokesman could say.

Why mess with success, right?

But the Times didn't stray too far from the mainstream message -- because the very same day, the paper ran a massive 1,400-word article urging women with no sign of the disease to take AstraZeneca's cancer meds strictly as a preventive measure.
I'm taking those kudos back.

Another alternative is: Sanoviv Medical Center, a holistic treatment center

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Mainstream pushes radiation tests

Whatever you do, don't get your health advice from the Los Angeles Times.

Hot on the heels of a report urging healthy women to take breast cancer meds even if they have no signs of the disease, the newspaper issued another stunner -- urging people to go out and get their X-rays.

The logic? Nearly everything has a radiation level anyway... so what's a little more?

The first example in the article is a banana -- which, because of its potassium content is slightly radioactive.

Not mentioned: You'd have to eat 600 bananas in one sitting to get a blast of radiation equal to a single chest X-ray... and 240,000 bananas to match an abdominal CT scan.

King Kong doesn't eat that many bananas!

What's more, the article tries to cloud the issue by mentioning everything from gamma rays to Hiroshima while making the ludicrous claim that, "it's impossible to know the real toll from CT scans and X-rays."

But it's not impossible.

In fact, there's some pretty clear research on this -- just don't expect to read about it in the Los Angeles Times. Where you can expect to read it is in The Douglass Report. I wrote an in-depth article on the dangers of CT scans earlier this year.

Studies have found that one percent of all new cancers are caused by CT scans alone. In fact, mainstream researchers have estimated that CT scans performed just in 2007 -- just that one single year -- will eventually lead to 29,000 cancers.

What does the Times have to say about this? Only that CT scans can cause cancer "in rare cases."

Does 29,000 in one year sound rare to you?

No matter how you look at it, radiation-based tests come with major risks -- and studies have found that half of them are completely unnecessary, and many more are wildly redundant.

I won't say never, ever get an X-ray or CT scan -- but before you put yourself into a lead-lined tube, make sure it's really necessary first.
You might be surprised at how often it's not.

Using my X-ray vision,
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

P.S. If you want to save your life, skip the test. It's as simple as that. To learn more about the dangers of CT scans, read the February 2010 issue of The Douglass Report. Not a subscriber? Click here to get instant access to this life-saving information.

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http://clicks.douglassreport.com//t/AQ/AALsQw/AAL1vQ/C+U/AQ/AaJ5Qw/5KmN Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the Daily Dose.

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Copyright (c) 2010 by Healthier News, LLC. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission.

If you haven’t read it, get a copy of Knockout  - based Suzanne Somers personal experience of beating cancer holistically

Experts Admit Swine Flu Jab ‘May Cause’ Deadly Nerve Disease

Daily Mail
By Jo Macfarlane

Experts Admit Swine Flu Jab ‘May Cause’ Deadly Nerve Disease

United Kingdom – Health chiefs have for the first time acknowledged that the swine flu jab may be linked to an increased risk of developing a deadly nerve condition.

Experts are examining a pos­sible association between the controversial jab and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, according to a report from official watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Previously, the Government has always stressed there is no evidence to link the paralysing condition to the H1N1 vaccine.

After The Mail on Sunday revealed in August 2009 that doctors were being asked to monitor cases of GBS during the swine flu pandemic, a letter from the Health Protection Agency’s chief executive Justin McCracken stated: ‘There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of GBS from the vaccines being developed to fight the current pandemic.’

Now the MHRA’s newly published report suggests the Government’s position has changed.

It says: ‘Given the uncer tainties in the available information and as with seasonal flu vaccines, a slightly elevated risk of GBS following H1N1 vaccines cannot be ruled out. Epidemiological studies are ongoing to further assess this possible association.’

It is not known precisely what causes GBS but the condition attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet – but it can be fatal.

The MoS report last year

Mother-of-two Hilary Wilkinson, 58, from Maryport, Cumbria, developed GBS following a chest infection and spent three months in hospital learning to walk and talk again.

She said: ‘It’s a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the swine flu vaccine.’

A vaccine used to combat a different form of swine flu in the US in 1976 led to 25 deaths from the condition, compared with just one death from swine flu itself.

Amid fears there could be a repeat, neurologists were asked to record cases of GBS in the UK swine flu outbreak. Millions of people this year will be exposed to the swine flu vaccine as it has been included within the seasonal flu jab.

Government experts say there is no evidence of an increase in risk similar to 1976, but the MHRA report reveals they are calculating if there might be a smaller raised risk.

The MHRA had 15 suspected GBS cases after vaccination – and six million doses of the swine flu jab Pandemrix were given. It is not known if swine flu or the vaccine could have caused the suspected cases.

A spokeswoman for the MHRA said the risk with the vaccine had not changed and that the report ‘simply expands’ on ongoing GBS analysis.

Source - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1321203/Experts-admit-swine-flu-jab-cause-deadly-nerve-disease.html#ixzz12kxMBiYg

Related:

Alternatives to Flu Shots

Anyone Recall Jane Bergermeister and the Lethal Vaccines???

ANYONE, RECALL JANE BERGERMEISTER AND THE LETHAL VACCINATIONS??? IT'S BACK..!

Beware… H1N1 combined with regular flu shot this time…

· Posted by maureeen worhach  -  on October 12, 2010 at 3:55pm

·DAMAGE..OR..DAMAGE CONTROL???

If a serious vaccine adverse reaction occurs and you decide to sue the drug company, their lawyers will tell you in court that you were adequately warned in the package insert of adverse reactions.

Historically when the jurors saw a child with vaccine damage, they always sided with the victim. The vaccine makers were losing every time. The vaccine manufacturers found the burden of liability so great that they sought and obtained relief from the U.S. government. In 1986 our government stepped in and decided to disallow direct lawsuits to the pharmaceutical company and created VAERS: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. They in effect, assume the liability of the drug manufacturers.

When parents elect to vaccinate their children, a portion of the money spent on the vaccination goes into a congressional fund to compensate them if their child is hurt or killed by the shot. If your child becomes sick and visits a doctor or hospital during the four weeks after immunization, this is to be reported to the doctor, where the vaccine was given. Doctors are then required to report vaccine damage to VAERS. It is estimated that less than ten percent do. Remember, “It’s not vaccine damage,” it’s something else. Even so, with only ten percent reporting, 12,000 to 14,000 reports of adverse events are made annually. By August 31, 1997, more than 802 million dollars had already been paid. Awards for death cases are capped at $250,000 plus attorneys’ fees or costs. This does not include private settlements. With VAERS, the manufactures and doctors have virtually no liability for adverse events that may occur. Examples of lawsuits. I checked my son's vaccines lots to see if any other kids had had reactions and this is what I found. Vaccine record
The Soldiers Dr. Dean Black, author of Immunizations: Compulsion or Choice, points out that government discussions of vaccine risks are recorded in the Congressional Record, in a text concerning compensation to families of children who have been harmed by the procedure. Black tells us that Congressman Henry Waxman, who chaired the hearing, is quoted as saying, “A properly manufactured vaccine that has been properly administered can cause a terrible adverse reaction, an admitted scientific fact. The children who will be victims rather than beneficiaries cannot be predicted.” The Congressional Record goes on to justify mass immunization practices by comparing children to soldiers at war who must at times sacrifice themselves for their country: As a nation we require that all children be immunized so that most children will be healthy. Today, the subcommittee will begin to consider what society owes to those who are hurt, to children injured in the line of public health.
The International Association of Biological Standards is the association which sets the expected risk vs. benefit ratio that should allow vaccines to be used. What is this standard? How beneficial must it be, relative to a risk, to be able to be used?

Journalist Fired Over Flu Pandemic Lawsuit

Kurt Nimmo
Infowars
July 7, 2009

Jane Bürgermeister Indicts flu Vaccine Mfgs 2  & Project Camelot Interviews Jane Bürgermeister (below)

Video: Austrian journalist Jane Bürgermeister, who recently filed criminal charges with the FBI against the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and several high ranking government and corporate officials concerning bioterrorism, has been fired from her job.

“On Monday, I was unexpectedly fired from my job as European Correspondent of the Renewable Energy World website,” Bürgermeister writes on her blog.

Jane Bürgermeister contends offshore banksters have cooked up an engineered flu virus in order to realize their eugenics plan for mass extermination.

“Because there is reason to believe this decision was related to my filing charges alleging bioterrorism against the people of the USA and the rest of the world, and because I am entitled as a citizen to report a crime if there is credible evidence, I intend to file a lawsuit against Pennwell, a magazine,” she explains. “I have heard of other journalists fired or harassed for covering this subject.”
In a document entitled Bioterrorism Evidence, Bürgermeister points to an international corporate criminal syndicate and extensively details its plan to carry out mass genocide against the American people by unleashing a deadly flu virus and instituting a forced vaccination program.

“There is proof many organizations — World Health Organization, UN as well as vaccine companies such as Baxter and Novartis — are part of a single system under the control of a core criminal group, who give the strategic leadership, and who have also funded the development, manufacturing and release of artificial viruses in order to justify mass vaccinations with a bioweapon substance in order to eliminate the people of the USA, and so gain control of the assets, resources etc of North America.”

Bürgermeister says the core group sets its strategic goals in secret using the Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg meetings. “It can be identified as the ‘Illuminati,’ a mafia-like group with family dynasties at its center.” It is the “world’s first truly global crime syndicate” based in “off shore banking centers” and employs international organizations such as the UN and WHO.

In her lawsuit, Bürgermeister alleges that a manufactured flu pandemic “is part of a long term plan by the syndicate, who have built large numbers of FEMA concentration camps with incinerators and prepared mass graves in state such as Indiana and in New York to quarantine people and dispose of the bodies of the people who are killed by the bioweapons attack.

Infowars and Prison Planet have posted reports on the construction of mass graves. In February, D. H. Williams, writing for the Daily Newscaster, published a report on FEMA and DHS vaccination and mass grave plans in the vicinity of Chicago and northern Indiana. In March of this year, Infowars posted extensive coverage of mass grave sites in Arizona and Texas.

Bürgermeister names Barack Obama, the UN’s Influenza coordinator David Nabarro, WHO director Margaret Chan, HHS secretary Kathleen Sibelius, DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, bankster kingpins David de Rothschild and David Rockefeller, international criminal financier George Soros, and others as defendants. The WHO, European Union, the CDC and other research labs, FEMA, vaccine companies, and the DHS have interacted with each other to develop and distribute biological weapons, the journalist contends, and have leveraged funding through the banking system and its global drug trade mechanism.

The Rockefeller Foundation has funded the eugenics movement for over a century. “The Rockefeller Foundation is the prime sponsor of public relations for the United Nations’ drastic depopulation program. Evidence in the possession of a growing number of researchers in America, England, and Germany demonstrates that the Foundation and its corporate, medical, and political associates organized the racial mass murder program of Nazi Germany,” writes Anton Chaitkin. “In the 1950s, the Rockefellers reorganized the U.S. eugenics movement in their own family offices, with spinoff population-control and abortion groups.”

Billionaires Ted Turner and Warren Buffett have funded the eugenics movement. “Other billionaires have begun funding parts of the eugenics movement. Bill Gates, the richest man in the country, and George Soros, the financier, have started putting their money into population control projects,” writes John Cavanaugh-O’Keefe in The Roots of Racism and Abortion: An Exploration of Eugenics.

Bürgermeister’s charges include evidence that Baxter AG, Austrian subsidiary of Baxter International, deliberately sent out 72 kilos of live bird flu virus, supplied by the WHO in the winter of 2009 to 16 laboratories in four counties. Bürgermeister “noted that Baxter’s lab in Austria, one of the supposedly most secure biosecurity labs in the world, did not adhere to the most basic and essential steps to keep 72 kilos of a pathogen classified as a bioweapon secure and separate from all other substances under stringent biosecurity level regulations, but it allowed it to be mixed with the ordinary human flu virus and sent from its facilities in Orth in the Donau,” writes Barbara Minton for Health News.

On June 29, Bürgermeister sent an email to the Fourwinds 10 website indicating she plans to take legal action against Sorcha Faal, a mysterious writer often accused of penning sensationalistic disinformation. “I can confirm I am the Jane Burgermeister who sent the email to Fourwinds10 setting the record straight about Sorcha Faal’s false report linking my charges against Baxter for their role in contaminating vaccine material with 72 kgs of live bird flu virus and the sudden death of Michael Jackson,” she wrote. “I am now looking at legal action against whoever writes under the name of Sorcha Faal. I believe this is a deliberate and cynical attempt by the people behind Baxter etc to manipulate public opinion by trivializing Baxter investigation.”

Faal’s disinfo worked so well that even medical doctors emailed Bürgermeister asking her to confirm the link to “I have had to spend a lot of time explaining that the Sorcha Faal report is a tissue of lies,” Bürgermeister complained.

See Flu Case:  http://www.theflucase.com/

Related:

Journalist Files Charges Against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder

New Program to Highlight Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

Mars Petcare has teamed up with the YMCA to launch a new community-focused initiative that highlights how owning a pet can make pet owners more active and healthy.

Research suggests that owning a pet helps increase levels of physical activity. A recent survey of 1,000 U.S. pet owners conducted by Mars Petcare revealed that more than half of pet owners would prefer to exercise with their pet instead of alone. The survey also revealed that 39% of pet owners feel that making sure their pet is more active has made them more active as well. During the pilot year, Mars Petcare's new Power of Pets™ program will be rolled out at YMCA locations in Washington, D.C., New York City, Nashville, Chicago and Portland, at which Mars Petcare will sponsor family-focused healthy living fairs for pets and people in the coming months. Additional on-going activities, such as community dog-walking programs, will debut in specific markets in the coming months.

"At the YMCA, we believe healthy lifestyles are about nurturing the spirit, mind and body - and pets certainly play a role in that. We encourage families to play together every day, and incorporating the family pet is a great way to make everyone more active," said Ted Cornelius, a spokesman for the YMCA.

For decades, Mars Petcare has invested in research into Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) through it's world-renowned WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition. WALTHAM® scientists have formed a partnership with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development to fund over $9 million in studies that seek to establish a scientific link between pet ownership and better physical and mental health.

"WALTHAM® has established an incredible body of evidence on the health benefits of pet ownership and The Power of Pets™ program will help us translate that research to people and communities. With obesity levels rising and health levels falling, we want to contribute our knowledge and expertise to help address those very serious issues, and at the same time, call attention to what we can do as humans to ensure the pets in our lives are also healthy and happy," said Dr. Karyl Hurley, global director of scientific affairs, The WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition.

This news story is independently sourced and PetPeoplesPlace.com does not specifically endorse products or services offered by any company referenced in this article, or benefit from any association with any companies referenced. 

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

I know our gang gets us out no matter the season!

Related:

Busy Pets are Happy Pets

The Dog Whisperer  -  What Your Pets Can Teach You

Posted:  Just One More Pet   -  Cross-Posted:  True Health Is True Wealth

ObamaCare… Hits, Misses and a Perhaps a Look into the Future

Most folks were unaware of the hidden perils within the recently passed Health Care Reform bill that many now call “Obamacare.” Remember, “We have to pass it before we know what’s in it.” One item of interest turned out to be the federal government taking over all student loans; private lending institutions will no longer be making them.  Go Here to Read Full Article. 

And this is only the tip of the Iceberg!

Obamacare Misses Major Deadlines (CRS: Commiecare™ a bloated, bureaucratic failure)

Tuesday, October 05, 2010 8:06:31 PM · by Connie Hair

Human Events ^

The largest, most sweeping government takeover of health care in modern history is a bloated, bureaucratic failure according to the latest Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. At the six month mark, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has already missed one-third of the new law’s mandated deadlines. And they want to run the nation's healthcare system? The new report was requested of the non-partisan CRS by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), one of two physicians currently serving in the U.S. Senate, along with Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). From... Continue reading at:  Human Events ^

 The Doctor Deficit

Tuesday, October 05, 2010 8:38:00 PM · by Nachum

Investor's Business Daily ^

ObamaCare: One of the marks of national health care is the waiting-list problem that plagues Britain and Canada. Delays in treatment have caused suffering and, in some cases, death. Soon, we'll be waiting for doctors too. Last week, the Association of American Medical Colleges reported that the looming doctor shortage will be worse than previous reports claim because of ObamaCare. Rather than "a baseline shortage of 39,600 doctors in 2015, current estimates bring that number closer to 63,000, with a worsening of shortages through 2025," says the medical college group's Center for Workforce Studies.  Continue reading at: Investor's Business Daily ^

BBC:  Abortion is a Kindness… Is This Where We Are Headed?

Remember when ObamaCare was being promoted?  How we were told about all the positives of socialized medicine in Canada and the UK?  Really??  The Canadian system is bankrupt.  Patients in English hospitals are often ignored and there have been many reports of them not being able to even get water.

Could we possibly be going in this direction?  Yes this is extreme… but perhaps not as extreme as you think… and it is not just in the UK.  These thoughts are already being promoted here in the United States.

Who is this woman…? a Fabian Socialist, like George Bernard Shaw.  The Fabian Society is the English version of our Progressive Party.  They promote Eugenics, like Margaret Sanger, Founder of Planned Parenthood did.

UK PUNDIT TO SHOCKED TV HOST: SUFFERING CHILDREN SHOULD BE SMOTHERED

Advice columnists in Britain are known as “agony aunts” (or uncles).  Virginia Ironside is one.  Her latest bit of advice has drawn outraged reaction from television viewers who caught her comments on the BBC yesterday.  She appeared during a segment called, “Can abortion be a kindness?” Here’s the Daily Mail account of her comments:

Miss Ironside said: ‘If a baby’s going to be born severely disabled or totally unwanted, surely an abortion is the act of a loving mother.’
She added: ‘If I were the mother of a suffering child – I mean a deeply suffering child – I would be the first to want to put a pillow over its face… If it was a child I really loved, who was in agony, I think any good mother would.’

Video:  Suffering Children Should be Smothered

Disability rights advocates called her pro-eugenics approach “despicable.”  Even the host seemed stunned:

Programme host Susanna Reid appeared visibly shocked by her comments during the live debate, gasping: ‘That’s a pretty horrifying thing to say, that you would put a pillow over a suffering child.’

In the past, Ironside has said she believes doctors should not try to save the lives of “very premature babies.”

Can abortion be a kindness?
A commentary that has to be heard to be believed, Glenn has the audio from the BBC in which smothering babies with pillows can actually be the kind thing to do. It's the complete lives, national health insurance type of thinking - they are a burden to others, so their time is up. Listen to Glenn play the disturbing audio and react. ( Transcript, Insider Audio)

The following 1 min 30 sec. video is not Fox News, it is CNN. It is about all the campaign promises in 2008 for the most honest and transparent congress in history....and the passage of Obamacare.

Video:  Secret Health Care Negotiations - Obama Lies - Transparency In Government a Joke

Please Share…

Watch or Record Glenn Beck to today  (10.06.10) for more on the Fabian Socialist, the people like Miss Ironside above, who believe in and promote smothering (or invoking death panels for) handicapped children and the elderly, eugenics and commercials like 10:10 EcoFasism Campaign Group Mini-Movie – No Pressure  Let us also remember that Fabian Socialists are a sister organization to American Progressives who wrote the ObamaCare Bill.

Alternatives to Flu Shots

Fall is here, along with the yearly advice from health professionals to get a flu shot. But should you? Will a flu shot really protect you from a nasty virus, or could it even raise your risk of developing a deadly disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s?

I believe the vaccine itself is dangerous. Many people suffer complications from it, and some are left permanently paralyzed and neurologically damaged. (Find more details on how you can protect your brain by reading my report "Vaccination: The Hidden Dangers.")

One recent study found that people over the age of 55 who receive the flu vaccine every year for five years in a row increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease 10-fold, in part due to two powerful brain toxins — mercury and aluminum — in the vaccine.

I believe a new mechanism, which involves mercury and aluminum as well the over-activation of the brain’s immune system caused by the vaccines, is to blame. There is compelling evidence that this mechanism can trigger Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and autism spectrum disorders, as well as Gulf War Syndrome.

The greatest risk of vaccinations triggering brain disorders is among those with impaired immunity. We know that as we age, the immune system becomes compromised, primarily because of poor nutrition.

I believe the idea of having yearly mercury injections is insane, to say the least, but millions still willingly line up for their annual flu shot. My report "Vaccines and Brain Injuries — Are You At Risk?" will give you more information on the dangers of vaccines.

Can you avoid taking the vaccine and still protect yourself from flu? Absolutely. We know that there is a solid connection between a strong immune system and nutrition. Several studies have shown that age-related immune problems can be corrected with nutrients such as selenium, vitamins E and C, zinc, and the carotenoids. Vitamin D-3 is also an important immune-booster and helps prevent over-reaction of the immune system. My special report "Key Vitamins that Save Your Heart, Prevent Cancer and Keep You Living Long" will give you more details.

Viruses are commonly spread by touching contaminated objects — like doorknobs, phones, and shared computer keyboards — as well as from shaking hands. Simple precautions, such as avoiding crowds and washing your hands, also help protect you and your family.

For more of Dr. Blaylock’s weekly tips, go here to view the archive.  © 2010 Newsmax. All rights reserved. Thursday, September 30, 2010 2:52 PM

Related:

Research Firm Blows Hole in Big Pharma Vaccination Lie

Something Fishy

Video: Toxic Seafood

But What About Gulf Seafood???

Exclusive: Gulf seafood poses long-term health risks, experts say

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 -- 7:49 am

Despite repeated assurances from federal officials and President Obama, independent scientists and public health experts have serious concerns about the long-term safety of Gulf seafood consumption.

In particular, experts tell Raw Story, contaminants from the massive oil spill and unprecedented use of the dispersants employed to dissolve the spill have the potential to cause cancer and neurological disorders.

In interviews with Raw Story last week, scientists and public health experts expressed concerns over possible long-term risks from eating contaminated Gulf seafood.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are cancer-causing chemicals found in crude oil that can accumulate in the food chain, absorbed by fish and shellfish. During the ongoing testing of seafood in the Gulf of Mexico by federal and state authorities, PAHs are of primary concern.

But crude oil also contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium that can accumulate in the food chain as well, though at a slower pace than PAHs, and are toxic to the brain and nervous system.

Another potential long-term health concern left in the wake of BP’s catastrophic oil spill is the nearly two million gallons of dispersant unleashed into the Gulf, much of it subsurface, which made both the amount used and its use unprecedented.

In interviews with Raw Story last week, FDA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said that all fish and shellfish in reopened federal and state waters have tested well beneath the level of concern for PAHs.

But what worries some scientists and public health experts is what these tests don’t -- and can’t -- reveal. They feel it’s “premature” for government officials to claim Gulf seafood poses no future health risks.

“Those are the short-term effects,” said Edward Trapido, the Wendell Gauthier Chair of Cancer Epidemiology at the Louisiana State University School of Public Health.

“We don’t know the long-term effects,” he explained. “And we don’t know, particularly related to cancer and particularly related to age and exposure, what the long-term effects will be.”

Trapido testified in June at a House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing on the spill and is heading a research group at LSU that will look at a range of health effects, including psychiatric and behavioral effects, chronic diseases and cancers.

The issue we don’t know at this point, he said, is the extent to which these compounds may bioacccumulate in shellfish or fish and what the half-lives are.

“So you could imagine if a large fish feasted on several hundred small fish and each of those small fish have eaten a certain number of microorganisms which had a little of contaminant, there’s a possibility, certainly, that you could go over the current measurements.”

In interviews with Raw Story last week, NOAA and FDA officials, in general, tended to downplay bioaccumulation of PAHs in Gulf seafood. But in some cases they denied it’s occurring at all, or even that it could occur.

“We have not found it,” FDA spokeswoman Meghan Scott claimed. “Every sample that we have tested for PAHs has come back clean. It has the potential to [bioaccumulate]. But we have not found it, even from samples taken from inside of closure areas.”

Christine Patrick, NOAA spokeswoman for seafood safety, went so far as to tell Raw Story, “The concept that the oil bioaccumulates [in seafood] – that’s not correct. It’s metabolized and excreted.”

Raw Story confirmed, in consultation with independent scientists, that these two statements were, respectively, impossible and inaccurate.

Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, a staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading national environmental group, underscored two things that NOAA, FDA and Gulf state officials have been playing down.

“The monitoring that’s currently being conducted by both NOAA and various different state agencies, and compiled by FDA, show that there is PAH contamination of fish in the Gulf,” she said. “They are detecting various different levels of the various different PAH constituents.”

Ellman, who contributed to last month’s peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study, which identified a number of issues about the health of Gulf seafood, also noted, “There is a good body of literature showing that seafood can be impacted by these contaminants.”

The JAMA report cites a 2002 study in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Environmental Research on the lasting effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which concluded: "Our data show that 10 years after the spill, nearshore fishes within the original spill zone were still exposed to residual hydrocarbons. All biomarkers [for contaminants] were elevated in fish collected from sites originally oiled, in comparison to fish from unoiled sites.''

Ellman added, “We understand that the different types of seafood – fish vs. crustaceans and bivalves – all have different capacities to retain the contaminants, and that’s important to note. But it’s not the basis on which to make a blanket statement that there’s no risk.”

“So it’s premature,” Trapido cautioned, “to say that it’s safe in the long-term.”

“We can say that it’s safe at this point based on what we know,” he continued. “But as a cancer epidemiologist, which is what I am, I have to maintain an air of skepticism and say, well, we don’t have any data to make a judgment on the long-term cases.”

The startling lack of data on the future health effects from oil spills on humans was a common lament among experts who spoke with Raw Story.

Trapido confirmed that the longest follow-up study that’s ever been done on people exposed to oil spills was just four years, and that was to track mental health only.

Two new areas of scientific research not being accounted for in the current risk assessments could also adversely impact future health, Ellman noted.

She said that studies have shown that early life exposure to the chemical benzo(a)pyrene, one of the most carcinogenic PAHs, increases the risk of cancer later in life. It wouldn’t have the same effect, she clarified, if the exposure came later in life.

“So because children’s bodies are different and they’re developing, exposures that happen early in life can have a more detrimental effect than if they were exposed later on,” said Ellman.

In addition to the cancer risks, Ellman told Raw Story that there’s also a new body of literature that has shown adverse developmental impacts from in utero exposure to PAHs, such as delayed growth, low birth weight and other indicators of impact during fetal development.

NOAA toxicologist John Stein said that he and other scientists within the agency have proposed to continue monitoring the Gulf waters to ensure seafood safety for the next three to five years. But Patrick confirmed that the agency has not made an official commitment to this.

Independent scientists and public health officials who spoke with Raw Story agreed that even if federal and state officials committed to such a time frame, it would still fall short of what's necessary.

They pointed out that due to bioaccumulation in the food chain, it's quite possible contamination levels in Gulf fish and shellfish may actually be higher in three to five years.

"If they were to completely suspend any monitoring prematurely," Ellman warned, "we wouldn't necessarily know whether levels of contaminants in seafood that we're most worried about have gone back down or remain elevated."

Brad Jacobson is a contributing investigative reporter for Raw Story.

Related:

Frankenfood Coming to a Store Near You

Food: The Ultimate Secret Videos

Would you vote for a food bill Monsanto supports?

It all began in February of 2009, when HR 875, the Food Safety Modernization Act, sponsored by Rosa DeLauro D-CT, was introduced in the House. DeLauro received nearly $200,000 in campaign donations from agri-business, and her husband Stanley Greenberg had at one time been a political consultant for Monsanto.

Then in March ’09 we saw S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act, followed by the House passage of H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, which has since stalled.

Gardiner Harris with the NYTimes blames “a stubborn senator from Oklahoma and an unusual coalition of left-and right-wing advocates for small farmers” for the delay of H.R. 2749. Harris would shamefully have you believe a cranky senator and a paranoid group of small farmers are to blame for preventing the FDA from correcting the flaws inherent in the nation’s food safety system.

So much for objective journalism from the Times. But since when has main stream corporate media been anything but stenographers for what ever party happens to occupy the White House?

The food safety system (FDA and USDA) has had over a century to correct their utter and complete incompetence and glaring ineptitude. The fact is, our food system is controlled by monopolies that — as Eric Blair notes — “fully controls the basic building blocks of the food that makes up the majority of the American diet. Those who control the corn, wheat, and soybeans,” says Blair, “control all food, since all livestock and all processed foods are dependent on those food resources. These monopolies place their cronies in government regulatory agencies like the FDA and USDA to weed out their competition through excessive regulation.”

How else could Austin “Jack” DeCoster, the man who owns Wright County Egg, responsible for 380 million of the 550 million recalled eggs, have escaped notice? DeCoster is a habitual offender who for two decades committed a series of egregious violations encompassing human rights violations, labor rights violations, environmental laws, and animal cruelty abuses.

FDA Corporate Favortism

Last month, the F.D.A. enacted new requirements on major egg producers to reduce egg-related salmonella cases. The new rules require salmonella testing of hens and eggs, improved sanitation in henhouses and improved refrigeration. But the F.D.A excluded from their new rules, the most potentially powerful weapon against salmonella by rejecting standard vaccination of hens against salmonella; the agency claimed there was not enough evidence vaccinations would prevent people from getting sick.

For ten years, from 1998 through 2008, a group of high-ranking corporate purchasing managers from some of the most well-known and largest food companies in North America were involved in racketeering, bribery, conspiracy, price fixing, bid rigging, and falsifying laboratory tests. The scope of corruption involved more than 55 companies, and included PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay, Kraft Foods, B&G Foods, the maker of Ortega Mexican foods, Safeway, and SK Foods LP, one of the nation’s largest tomato processors.

This racketeering scam had been going on for 10 years. Where was the FDA while the American public was being sold contaminated food? No amount of federal regulation will change corruption and deliberate negligence within the federal regulatory system itself.

In 2008, the FDA participated in a cover-up of toxic melamine in US baby formula. As much as ninety percent of the infant formula sold in the US was contaminated; the FDA collected nearly 100 samples of infant formula made by U.S. manufacturers, then held a conference call to alert the manufacturers of their findings but withheld the test results from the public; they only released the results after the Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information Act request, revealing that Nestle, Mead Johnson and Enfamil infant formula products were all contaminated with melamine.

And the FDA has a history of intimate ties with the pharmaceutical industry. The agency approved “unsafe and ineffective medicine” for market from Ranbaxy Laboratories, even while Ranbaxy was being investigated by Congress. The Department of Justice concluded that a pattern of systemic fraudulent conduct, including submissions by Ranbaxy to the FDA contained false and fabricated information.

Orwellian Food Safety Bill is Food Fascism

While it’s true the new bill’s passage would require more government inspections of food manufacturing facilities and finally empower a deliberately weakened FDA with the authority to shut down plants, order recalls, and track food-borne illnesses, the FDA’s new authority will undoubtedly be enforced primarily on small farmers, even though the biggest offenders of contaminated food requiring food recalls are massive corporate-run farms.

As Blair observes, “This [food bill] can be an effective tool for the big multinational agri-corporations to further squeeze out their competition and gain near complete control of food resources in America. And the new food bill hands much of the FDA’s duties over to the Department of Homeland Security, mentioned 41 times in the bill.

HR 2749 – The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, would subject farmer’s markets, organic farmers, and even the Amish to:

* Random warrantless searches of business records even with no evidence of violation

* Full quarantine of “food facilities”, vehicles, and surrounding geographic area

* Forced tracing system for food

* Severe criminal and civil penalties, including prison terms of up to 10 yrs and/or fines of $100K

* FDA mandates to regulate how crops are raised and harvested

* Annual registration plus fee of $500

The new food bill would place severe restrictions on “the public’s right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and eat each and every food that nature makes. It will become the most offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption of food and agricultural products of one’s choice.”

The bill would charge fees and force small producers to maintain detailed records about where their food is sold so it can be traced in the event of a recall or outbreak. Small farmers can’t afford to hire food safety staffs and pay for expensive laboratory testing.

Blair reminds us that the easiest way to determine if a proposed legislation will benefit the average Americans is to note who is supporting the bill, versus who opposes the bill. “Monsanto and other agri-monopolies support the bill with full force. Indeed, some speculate that they even wrote the bill themselves,” says Blair.

The incestuous relationship between government and agribusiness is all too clear. “Subsidies rain down on big agribusinesses that grow what the government tells them to grow. Industry leaders like Cargill, Monsanto, and Tyson essentially turn farmers into indentured sharecroppers,” notes Blair.

We’re witnessing the same attempt at food fascism when it comes to raw milk. The FDA has decided consumers have no inherent right to choose the food they eat, and has banned the interstate transport of raw milk.

As Mike Adams with Natural News points out, “The real reason why the FDA opposes raw milk is because Big Dairy opposes raw milk. Just like Big Pharma, Big Dairy has worked very hard behind the scenes to steer FDA policy in its favor. And according to some recent reports, Big Dairy is one of the primary forces trying to eliminate raw milk because it threatens the commercial milk business.”

No amount of added federal regulation will enhance food safety in a corrupt federal regulatory system controlled by the very corporations they are suppose to regulate. Worse yet, says Blair, this bill may just be the primer for the even more egregious bill HR.759 Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act, which fully restricts local food producers and natural health remedies.

Video:  California ballot initiative takes aim at Monsanto GMO toxic food labeling: declaring war on FDA

Related Posts

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3. Food, Lies, Monsanto — And The Food Safety Working Group
4. Monsanto Takes GM Food Fight to Supreme Court
5. Organic Farmers, Amish, Farmer’s Markets, May Be Outlaws Under New Bill
6. Georgia Man Fined for Growing Vegetables
7. Frankenfood, Coming Soon to a Store Near You?

Vaccine Laws

RECOMMENDATIONS VS. LAWS: It is important for you to know the legal requirements of the vaccination laws in your state and to understand the difference between a legal requirement and a recommendation. While vaccine policymakers in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that the MMR shot be given to all children, your state may legally require only measles and rubella vaccines. In this case, you have the legal option to vaccinate with only measles and rubella vaccines and not with mumps vaccine.

You also have the option in most states to be exempted from vaccination or re-vaccination if you can show proof of existing immunity. You can go to a private laboratory for a blood test to determine if there are enough antibodies to prove existing immunity to a disease such as measles or whooping cough. A blood test that measures antibody levels can cost $55 or more, depending on the disease.

When making an informed vaccination decision, it is important to consider whether one or more of the following factors will affect the safety and effectiveness of a particular vaccine or combination of vaccines your child will receive:

• Child's age
• State of health at the time of vaccination
• Number and types of vaccines to be given simultaneously
• Past history of acute vaccine reactions or serious health problems following vaccination
• Family history of vaccine reactions, severe allergies or autoimmune or neurological disorders

Legal Exemptions to Vaccination
Medical, philosophical or personal belief exemptions are worded differently in each state. To use an exemption for your child, you must know specifically what the law says in your state.

Philosophical Exemption
The following 18 states allow exemption to vaccination based on philosophical, personal or conscientiously held beliefs: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

In many of these states, individuals must object to all vaccines, not just a particular vaccine in order to use the philosophical or personal belief exemption. Many state legislators are being urged by federal health officials and medical organizations to revoke this exemption to vaccination. If you are objecting to vaccination based on philosophical or personal conviction, keep an eye on your state legislature as public health officials may seek to amend state laws to eliminate this exemption.

Religious Exemption
All states allow a religious exemption to vaccination except Mississippi and West Virginia. The religious exemption is intended for people who hold a sincere religious belief opposing vaccination to the extent that if the state forced vaccination, it would be an infringement on their right to exercise their religious beliefs. Some state laws define religious exemptions broadly to include personal religious beliefs, similar to personal philosophical beliefs. Other states require an individual who claims a religious exemption to be a member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) or another bonafide religion whose written tenets include prohibition of invasive medical procedures such as vaccination. (This kind of language has been ruled unconstitutional when it has been challenged in state Supreme Courts.) Some laws require a signed affidavit from the pastor or spiritual advisor of the parent exercising religious exemption that affirms the parents' sincere religious belief about vaccination, while others allow the parent to sign a notarized waiver. Prior to registering your child for school, you must check your state law to verify what proof may be needed.

Due to differences in state laws, the National Vaccine Information Center does not recommend or provide a prewritten waiver for religious exemption because it may not conform with what is required in your state, and may actually draw attention to your child, and you may be singled out and challenged.

If you are challenged, you could end up in litigation brought by your state or county health department to prove your religious beliefs. The religious exemption is granted based on the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is the right to freely exercise your religion. Because citizens are protected under the First Amendment of the United States, a state must have a "compelling State interest" before this right can be taken away. One "compelling State interest" is the spread of communicable diseases. In state court cases which have set precedent on this issue, the freedom to act according to your own religious belief is subject to reasonable regulation with the justification that it must not threaten the welfare of society as a whole.

However, parents have successfully obtained religious exemptions to vaccination. The constitutional right to have and exercise personal religious beliefs, whether you are of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim or other faith, can be defended. If you exercise your right to religious exemption, you must be prepared to defend it. It is always best to define your personal religious beliefs opposing vaccination in your own words when you write a letter defending them. If you do belong to a church and take the time to educate the head of your local church about the sincerity of your personal religious beliefs regarding vaccination, obtaining a letter from your pastor, priest, rabbi or other spiritual counselor affirming the sincerity of your religious beliefs may also be advisable.

Medical Exemptions
All 50 states allow medical exemption to vaccination. Proof of medical exemption must take the form of a signed statement by a Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) that the administering of one or more vaccines would be detrimental to the health of an individual. Most doctors follow the AAP and CDC guidelines. Most states do not allow Doctors of Chiropractic (D.C.) to write medical exemptions to vaccination.

Some states will accept a private physician's written exemption without question. Other states allow the state health department to review the doctor's exemption and revoke it if health department officials don't think the exemption is justified.

Proof of Immunity
Some states will allow exemptions to vaccination for certain diseases if proof of immunity can be shown to exist. Immunity can be proven if you or your child have had the natural disease or have been vaccinated. You have to check your state laws to determine which vaccines in your state can be exempted if proof of immunity is demonstrated.

Private medical laboratories can take blood (a titer test) and analyze it to measure the level of antibodies, for example, to measles or pertussis that are present in the blood. If the antibody level is high enough, according to accepted standards, you have obtained proof of immunity and may be able to use this for an exemption to vaccination.

Vaccine Law Firm Directory

Source: NVIC

Remembering… One Year After Patrick Swayze’s Death After a Valiant Fight With Pancreatic Cancer

Lisa Niemi and Patrick Swayze  -  Courtesy Patrick and Lisa Swayze

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 marked one year since Patrick Swayze's death following a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. For his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, it's an anniversary that brings both sorrow and hope.

"In some ways I look at the anniversary and I think, 'It's either going to knock me down or it's going to make me stronger," Niemi says. "And I know I'm stronger now. The fact that I've had some good days definitely gives me hope that I can have more."

As a new spokeswoman for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Niemi is launching an awareness campaign on this anniversary of Swayze's death. "Be a Hero in the Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer: Know it. Fight it. End it" will feature videos and personal messages from Niemi.

PHOTOS: Patrick Swayze: A Talented Heartthrob Remembered

"It's a merciless disease," she says. "If Patrick being sick can help somebody else, it's the highest possible honor I could help him have."
At home on the ranch she shared with Swayze just north of Los Angeles, Niemi said she was considering her own personal ways of celebrating her husband's life. "I'm looking at doing some things like picking out the most beautiful tree ever," she says, "and planting it in an extraordinary spot."

Surrounded by the couple's animals – three dogs, two cats and seven horses – Niemi still feels close to Swayze, especially when she hears the wind chimes on their back porch.

"Sometimes there won't be any wind, so I like to think [it's Patrick]," she says. "I do sense his presence, and I like that. Just because he's gone now doesn't mean that love doesn't go on."

PHOTOS: Patrick & Lisa: A Love Story

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

“Dancing with the Stars” made an emotional return to television on tonight for its eleventh season, featuring a performance from one celebrity and her professional partner that left one of the judges – and much of the audience – in tears.

Jennifer Grey, who delighted audiences more than two decades ago as “Baby” in “Dirty Dancing” opposite Patrick Swayze, was as charming, effervescent and elegant as she was back then as she hit the ballroom for the first time with partner Derek Hough.

The two performed an enchanting Viennese waltz choreographed by Derek (and set to “These Arms of Mine,” a song from the 1987 film), which in rehearsals created an intensely emotional moment for Jennifer.

“In one second, it really took me back almost like in a time capsule and I was with Patrick. I just miss him and I just realized how fast time goes,” she said in a clip, later telling Derek, “He was like you, young and gorgeous, and now he’s like gone.”

During competition, Jennifer kept it together, throwing her emotions into the magical number, which featured some of the late actor’s movie moves. The dance more than delighted the judging panel who gave Jennifer and Derek the highest score of the night – 24 out of 30.

”‘Baby’ is back where she belongs. I know someone up there is going to be very, very proud of you,” judge Bruno Tonioli said, referring to Patrick, who was a longtime celebrity supporter of “DWTS” before his death due to pancreatic cancer, one year and one week ago.

Frankenfood, Coming Soon to a Store Near You?

WASHINGTON –  Watch for a new section between "frozen foods" and "organic" in your supermarket: genetically engineered. That is, if the government approves the so-called "frankenfoods" for sale.

The Food and Drug Administration Monday began a two-day look at the issue Monday, focusing on genetically modified salmon, which would be the first such food approved for human consumption.

The agency has already said the salmon, which grow twice as fast as conventional ones, are safe to eat. But salmon act as a genetic gatekeeper in this case: Approve them and open the door for a variety of other genetically engineered animals, including an environmentally friendly pig that is being developed in Canada or cattle that are resistant to mad cow disease. 

"For future applications out there the sky's the limit," said David Edwards of the Biotechnology Industry Association. "If you can imagine it, scientists can try to do it."

Genetic engineering is already widely used for crops, but the government until now has not considered allowing the consumption of modified animals. Although the potential benefits -- and profits -- are huge, many individuals have qualms about manipulating the genetic code of other living creatures.

Genetically engineered -- or GE -- animals are not clones, which the FDA has already said are safe to eat. Clones are copies of an animal. With GE animals, their DNA has been altered to produce a desirable characteristic.

In the case of the salmon, AquaBounty has added a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon that allows the fish to produce their growth hormone all year long. The engineers were able to keep the hormone active by using another gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout that acts like an on switch for the hormone, according to the company. Conventional salmon produce the growth hormone only some of the time.

Ron Stotish, chief executive of AquaBounty, testified at the day one of the hearings that his company's modified fish are environmentally sustainable and safe to eat. If approved, AquaBounty says it would be the first in the world to market genetically engineered fish.

AquaBounty submitted its first application for FDA approval in 1995, but the agency waited until two years ago to consider applications for genetically engineered animals -- a move seen as a breakthrough by the biotechnology industry.

In documents released ahead of the hearing, the FDA said there were no biologically relevant differences between the engineered salmon and conventional salmon, and there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from its consumption.

Critics have two main concerns: The safety of the food to humans and the salmon's effect on the environment.

Because the altered fish has never been eaten before, they say, it could include dangerous allergens, especially because seafood is highly allergenic. They also worry that the fish will escape and intermingle with the wild salmon population, which is already endangered. They would grow fast and consume more food to the detriment of the conventional wild salmon, critics fear.

A wide range of environmental, food safety and consumer groups have argued that more public studies are needed and the current FDA process is inadequate because it allows the company to keep some proprietary information private. Modified foods are regulated under the same process used for animal drugs.

"It is outrageous to keep this vital information secret," said Wenonah Hauter, director of the advocacy group Food & Water Watch. "Consumers have a right to know what FDA is trying to allow into our food supply."

Dr. Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, says the agency is relying on too little data, much of which is supplied by the company itself.

"FDA has set the bar very low," he said.

Ron Stotish, the chief executive of AquaBounty, countered that the company has more than addressed the concerns, and his product has come under much more scrutiny than most food.

"This is perhaps the most studied fish in history," he said. "Environmentally this is a very sustainable technology."

The company has several safeguards in place to allay concerns. All the fish would be bred female and sterile, though a small percentage may be able to breed. They would be bred in confined pools where the potential for escape would be very low.

In its environmental analysis of the fish released earlier this month, the FDA agreed with the company that there are enough safeguards in place.

Stotish says the fish would be bred in better conditions than many of the world's farmed salmon, and could be located closer to population centers to help feed more people. The company has also said the increase in engineered salmon production could help relieve endangered wild salmon populations.

The company is also arguing that the fish do not need to be labeled as genetically engineered, so the common customer would not know if they were eating the modified product or the conventional product. The second day of the FDA meeting will focus on the labeling question.

"This fish is identical to the traditional food," maintained Stotish. "The label could even be misleading because it implies a difference that doesn't exist."

If approved, the fish could be in grocery stores in two years, the company estimates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  Posted:  FoxNews.com's SciTech

Reuters/Barrett & McKay Photo/AquaBounty Technologies

A genetically engineered AquAdvantage Salmon (background) is compared to an Atlantic salmon of the same age (foreground). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day meeting starting September 19 to discuss whether to approve the altered fish for U.S. consumers to eat.

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Study: 2 popular arthritis supplements don't work

updated 9/17/2010 9:10:07 AM ET  - MSNBC

LONDON — Two popular supplements used to treat joint pain don't work and health authorities should stop paying for them, a new study says.

European researchers analyzed the results of 10 past trials in 3,803 patients who took glucosamine, chondroitin or a placebo to treat arthritis in their hips or knees. They found neither supplement, taken either separately or together, did any better than a placebo.

The study was led by Peter Juni, head of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland. It was paid for by the Swiss National Science Foundation and was published Friday in the journal BMJ.

For the past decade, glucosamine and chondroitin have been recommended by doctors to treat arthritis in the hip or knee. The supplements are components of human connective tissues found in cartilage and bone. Globally, sales of glucosamine supplements hit nearly $2 billion in 2008.

Chronic arthritis in the hip or knee can be treated with drugs that reduce inflammation, but those can cause serious stomach and heart side effects if they are used in the long term.

In the BMJ analysis, the researchers didn't find any proof glucosamine or chondroitin were dangerous. "We see no harm in having patients continue (taking these supplements) as long as they perceive a benefit and cover the cost of treatment themselves," wrote Juni and colleagues.

Still, the researchers said because the supplements didn't reduce joint pain, insurers and governments should stop buying them. "New prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged," they wrote.

In Britain, the government does not pay for the supplements, citing a lack of evidence.

Jane Tadman, a spokeswoman for the charity Arthritis Research U.K., said results from previous trials testing the supplements had been mixed. She was not connected to the research and said it was up to patients to decide whether to keep taking the supplements.

"Some people may want to consider an over-the-counter trial as part of a wider self-management plan which includes exercise and keeping to an ideal weight," she suggested.

Bayer Joins Other Industry Leaders at Today's White House Announcement

Bayer Corporation Joins Change The Equation

 

PITTSBURGH, Sep 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bayer Corporation has joined Change the Equation (CTEq), the national initiative launched today that is mobilizing the country's leading corporations dedicated to STEM education in support of the Obama Administration's "Educate to Innovate" initiative. CTEq is an unprecedented initiative of business leaders who are connecting and aligning their work to transform science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning in the United States. Its more than 100 corporate members coordinate their efforts, share their best thinking, and leverage their investments to make a much bigger difference than they could on their own.

In joining CTEq, Bayer builds on its long-standing commitment to science education which the company demonstrates through its Presidential-award winning Making Science Make Sense(R) (MSMS) program. Currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, MSMS is Bayer's companywide initiative that aims to improve science education and advance science literacy across the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science education, employee volunteerism and a national public education/awareness campaign led by astronaut, scientist and educator, Dr. Mae C. Jemison. Formalized in 1995, MSMS has its roots in school-based science education partnerships forged by Bayer employees in their local communities more than 40 years ago.

"We at Bayer are proud to reaffirm our ongoing commitment to strengthen science education by becoming a member of Change the Equation," said Greg Babe, President and CEO of Bayer Corporation. "Innovation, invention and discovery are the life blood of our business and this country. Long ago we recognized our corporate responsibility to support high-quality science education programs that are helping all American students, including those who traditionally have been underrepresented in STEM, have a place at the innovation table."

As a corporate member, the Bayer USA Foundation has provided seed money to create the newly-formed non-profit CTEq organization and has re-committed to CTEq's three goals. Specifically, Bayer will continue to support programs that improve STEM teaching at all grade levels, with a larger and more diverse cadre of highly-capable and inspirational STEM teachers; inspire student appreciation and excitement for STEM programs and careers to increase success and achievement in school and opportunities for a collegiate education, especially among females and students of color; and, achieve a sustained commitment to improving STEM education from business leaders, government officials, STEM educators and other stakeholders through innovation, communication, collaboration and data-based decision making.

In marking the 15th anniversary of MSMS, Bayer recently launched a series of new online science education tools for various stakeholders. Among these resources is a revised "`How To' Guide for Business-Education Partners" designed for those wishing to create alliances, as well as a revised STEM Diversity Best Practice Compendium which offers an extensive listing of quality STEM education programs that can be replicated and/or scaled up in communities nationwide.

"For the United States, this is a moment of opportunity. The federal government is making unprecedented investments in STEM education, and states are striving to raise student achievement in the STEM fields. Educators, philanthropists, and public officials--including President Obama himself--are publicly championing the importance of STEM for students' workforce readiness," said Linda Rosen, CEO of Change the Equation. "We're thankful to Bayer and all of our Change the Equation corporate partners who have pledged to harness this energy for the good of all children. By aligning our efforts, companies can help ensure that STEM investments, public and private, add up to measurable growth."

About Change the Equation

Change the Equation (CTEq) is a non-profit organization whose 100 member companies from across industry sectors are dedicated to promoting innovation and investment in STEM teaching and learning. CTEq aims to give STEM education a central place in the national lexicon of excellence and achievement, establishing a national movement to support, promote and implement excellent STEM education for every child.

About Bayer Corporation

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Corporation is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In North America, Bayer had 2009 net sales of approximately 7.7 billion euros (about $10.7 billion) and employed 16,300 at year end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Formalized in 1995, Making Science Make Sense is Bayer's national award-winning initiative to advance science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee volunteerism and public education. Currently, 12 Bayer sites around the country have local MSMS programs.

About the Bayer USA Foundation

The Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of Bayer Corporation's philanthropy in the United States. With a programmatic focus on the environment and sustainability; education and workforce development; arts and culture; and health and human services, the foundation creates and supports organizations that improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work, as well as society at large. The Bayer USA Foundation is one of three Bayer corporate foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

SOURCE: Bayer Corporation

Bayer Corporation 
Bryan Iams, 412-777-5200 
E-mail: bryan.iams.b@bayer.com 
www.BayerUS.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010