By Dr. Mercola

If you're a corporation or a lobbyist and you want to "buy" a member of Congress, one common and effective way to do so is by secretly promising them a high-paying job once they leave office.

Since such deals are not made public, legislators can pass laws or create special tax cuts that benefit their future employer with little or no accountability. Politicians do not have to disclose job negotiations while in office, and also do not have to disclose how much they're paid after leaving office.

But it is probably not a coincidence that former Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) spent his last year in office fighting reforms to the derivatives marketplace, and then upon leaving office joined that board a derivatives trading company and became an "advisor" to Goldman Sachs.

According to the featured article in Republic Reportⁱ :

 "Our research effort uncovered the partial salaries of 12 lawmakers-turned-lobbyists. Republic Report's investigation found that lawmakers increased their salary by 1,452 percent on average from the last year they were in office to the latest publicly available disclosure".

Is it Bribery, or Legitimate Career Change?

A previous Republic Report highlights the questionable job search of another Congressman about to quit Congress. Heath Shuler (D-NC) is reportedly already talking to different lobbying firms, assessing his options.  According to Republic Reportⁱⁱ :

"One of the organizations taking a serious look at Shuler is The Majority Group, a lobby shop founded by former Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), according to sources. Rob Ellsworth, a former legislative assistant of Shuler's, is a co-founder of the boutique lobbying firm.

The Majority Group... currently represents the beef industry, a foreclosure servicing company called FCI Lender Services, as well as bank holding companies with business in health, life, and real estate insurance. And while Shuler meets with lobbying firms openly interested in hiring him, the Congressman continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the laws we all live under... [L]awmakers like Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK), and many others are [also] possible recruits for K street.

While some call this phenomenon the "revolving door," the line between casual bribery and simply changing careers is incredibly fuzzy. How do we know that lawmakers like Shuler aren't influenced by the lobbying firms already promising them cash?"

Bribery - The Sordid Details of How the U.S. Political System Works

After viewing the shocking 60-Minute expose about the former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, it's quite clear that the entire system runs on bribery, in one form or another. It is fatally flawed, and cannot be fixed through reform efforts, because those creating the reforms are the very people affected by them.

Jack Abramoff has been characterized as the most notorious and crooked lobbyist of our time, and is the classic example of brazen corruption and influence-peddling.  In his interview with Leslie Stahl for 60-Minutes, he details how he used corporation's money to buy powerful friends and influence legislation. He was a master at showering gifts on lawmakers in the 1990s in return for their votes on legislation. He was so good at it, he took home 20 million dollars a year!

It all came crashing down five years ago when he plead guilty to corrupting public officials, tax evasion, and fraud, and served three and a half years in a federal prison. If you haven't seen this interview, I urge you to take the time to watch it now. It's a dramatic eye-opener to the reality of our political system.

Download Interview Transcript

How Large Corporations Manipulate the System for Their Benefit

Abramoff was able to freely share the specific details of how he manipulated the political system because he had already served prison time for his crimes. Otherwise, we would never have become privy to these first-hand accounts of how it's really done. He believes that most Congressmen actually do not feel they're being bought and are able to rationalize their actions, and the system as a whole, in their own minds... And that, according to Abramoff, is a mindset that is nurtured by lobbyists, as it is exactly the way lobbyists want them to feel.

This is similar to doctors; most of whom do not believe they're being unduly influenced by their pharmaceutical representatives. Little do they know these reps are actually trained in highly sophisticated brainwashing techniques. They are meticulously taught to spot the weaknesses of every client.

Doctors usually believe they are immune to persuasion tactics, and drug reps know just how important it is to maintain that illusion. Not only are reps trained to assess their personality, practice style, and medical preferences, they're also instructed to sniff out personal information, like the names of family members, birthdays, and family interests -- as well as the physician's professional interests and recreational pursuits. All of this information goes into a database for future reference. When the time comes to devise an "incentive" -- say a dinner, sporting event, or membership -- it is custom tailored to suit the prey.

It's all about establishing personal rapport. Oftentimes doctors mistake the reps' cleverly disguised interest in them as personal friendship. This is exactly how it's designed to work.

The same appears to be true for many lobbyists. Abramoff, for example, admits to having had "very strong personal relationships with a lot of his staff," referring to staff members of Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The Ace in the Sleeve...

Abramoff would lavish certain Congressmen and Senators with access to private jets and junkets to the world's great golf destinations, free meals at his own upscale Washington restaurant, and he spent over a million dollars a year to give them access to the best tickets to all the areas' sporting events. In response to Leslie Stahl's question, "Was all of that legal?" he replies:

"We would certainly try to make the activity legal, if we could. At times, we didn't care."

However, lavish getaways and sports events aside, Abramoff's greatest, most effective "weapon" was the promise of a future job at a huge pay increase. In his case, he would typically focus on a Congressman's Chief of Staff; offering him or her a position after finishing working for the Congressman. This allowed him inside access, and the ability to control the Congressman's votes on legislation. In his own words:

"I would say... to him or her at some point, "You know, when you're done working on the Hill, we'd very much like you to consider coming to work for us." Now the moment I said that to them... that was it. We owned them. And what does that mean? Every request from our office, every request of our clients, everything that we want, they're going to do. And not only that, they're going to think of things we can't think of to do!"

His influence was so pervasive that he alone controlled about a quarter of the U.S. Congress! Sadly, he is not alone in his corrupt and criminal behavior, and that's largely why we're in the mess we're in. As of last year, there were 12,654 registered lobbyists in the U.S.ⁱⁱⁱ  That's a lot of people working to influence politicians in favor of their clients...

Private Industries Control the Political System

It is a well-documented fact that the drug companies have the largest political lobbying organizations^iv . They are some of the most clever marketers on the planet, and know exactly how to leverage their resources by bribing politicians to give them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. One primary technique is by creating legislation that devastates their competition. This is typically implemented through federal regulatory agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Another political powerhouse is the biotech industry, led by Monsanto.

While many other nations are banning genetically engineered foods, and/or require such foods to be labeled, Monsanto's reach into the very heart of the U.S. regulatory agencies and political offices has ensured that most Americans are completely unaware of what they're eating, or the many dangers of genetically engineered crops to both the environment and animal- and human health.

Contrary to other nations, certain U.S. states are actually passing legislation that protects the use of genetically engineered seeds and allows for their unabated expansion! At present, no less than 14 states have passed such pro-industry legislation. Michigan's Senate Bill 777^v , if passed, would make that 15. The Michigan bill would prevent anti-GMO laws, and would remove the any authority that local governments may have to "adopt and enforce ordinances that prohibit or regulate the labeling, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, use, or planting of agricultural, vegetable, flower or forest tree seeds."

Bills like these are essentially bought and paid for through the millions of dollars Monsanto and other biotech companies spend lobbying the U.S. government each year. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government -- a drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter. Monsanto is a perfect example of the revolving door between industry, political offices, and various regulatory agencies. There can no longer be any doubt that Monsanto's success is largely due to the fact that an ever growing list of former Monsanto employees are now in positions of power within the federal government.

Can the System Be Saved?

Most people are under the impression that political corruption only involves somebody handing over a check and getting a favor. But as the first-hand account of Abramoff reveals, that's usually not the case. The foundation of the corruption, really, is all about bribery that involves giving a gift to somebody who makes a decision on behalf of the public. At the end of the day, that's really what bribery is.

And while there have been efforts at reform, the system has never actually changed and continues to this day because the people who make the reforms are the people within the system itself. According to Abramoff:

"There's an arrogance on the part of lobbyists—and certainly there was on the part of me and my team—that no matter what they come up with, we're smarter than they are, and we'll overcome it. We'll just find another way through. That's all."

"Reform efforts" are in actuality little more than fake efforts to appease the critics. For example, the system forbids lobbyists from taking a Congressman to sit-down lunch for 25 dollars, but allows them to take him to a fundraising lunch—where food is served standing up—and give him 25,000 dollars extra to boot. So despite "reform efforts" to stop lobbyists from plying politicians with free meals, they still have all the same access, and all the same interaction with that Congressman—they just have to stand up to do it...

"Our system is flawed, and has to be fixed," Abramoff says. "Human beings populate our system, and human beings are weak."

According to Abramoff, the only solution is to prohibit members of Congress and their staff from ever becoming lobbyists in Washington. I agree. I believe if you make the choice to serve the public with public service, then serve the public, not yourself.

Whether or not we can make that happen is another question...  

The good news is that increasing numbers of people are now waking up to these harsh realities, and you, being among those who are informed, can help share this knowledge with others. Remember that the definition of fascism is a government system that has complete power in regimenting all industry and forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism. What we have here is a hybrid—a sort of corporate fascism, where industry has powerful control over government, and forcefully suppresses anything that threatens their monopoly on profits.

But, this doesn't mean that you have to buy into their agenda.

From my perspective, two of the top industries running the U.S. at present are the pharmaceutical- and biotech industries. But they can still be stopped. The goal is to reach a critical mass of people who refuse unnecessarily dangerous drugs and genetically engineered foods, and who demand that our public servants serve the public rather than corporate interests. I believe that can and will serve as a powerful stimulus to generate authentic change. More than 1.6 million people currently receive this newsletter, and together we can make a huge difference.

References:

• ⁱ Republic Report March 14, 2012
• ⁱⁱ Republic Report March 12, 2012
• ⁱⁱⁱ OpenSecrets.org Lobbying Database
• ^iv OpenSecrets.org Top Industries
• ^v The Michigan Citizen

• Republic Report March 14, 2012

  You'll Ignore Conventional Health Advice - Once You See These Ugly Facts

  Quick Study: Lobbying’s Long Arm

  How Congressional Scandals Influence Your Trip to the Drug Store

[Read the rest of this article...]

By Dr. Mercola

A simple sign on a grocery store shelf has gone viral, causing a storm of outrage among consumers who feel they've been misled by cereal maker Kellogg's claims about its Kashi cereals. A Rhode Island grocer posted a note on the shelf where Kashi was supposed to be, saying he'd learned it wasn't 100 percent natural after all, and therefore wasn't carrying it anymore.

It turns out the soy in Kashi cereals comes from genetically modified Roundup-ready soybeans, which have a gene inserted in them that allows the crop to withstand otherwise lethal doses of the weed killer.

USA Today reported that consumers felt duped into believing that Kashi was all-natural when it's notⁱ. Their complaints were initially brushed off by Kashi general Manager David DeSouza, who told USA Today that since the FDA doesn't regulate the term "natural," the cereal maker has done nothing wrong by defining "natural" as minimally-processed with no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or sweeteners.

Were You Duped by Kashi's Wholesome Brand Identity?

People generally tend to believe that the word "natural" refers to foods grown "in a natural way," which really amounts to organic farming methods, or close to it; sans harsh chemicals, and most definitely not something that has been genetically engineered. Unfortunately, that's not what the "natural" label represents at all. In fact, the "natural" label is unregulated, and companies can define it as they please.

But most food manufacturers are well aware of this general misperception of what the label means, and frequently misuse it to lure health conscious consumers into spending more. This is known as "green-washing" and it certainly applies in this case.

Adding insult to injury, the company appears to have made a poor attempt to save face by further misleading consumers about the accuracy of the information that led the Rhode Island grocer to not carry the Kashi brand anymore.

The Cornucopia Institute released a report, Cereal Crimes, back in November of last yearⁱⁱ, which details the presence of genetically engineered grains in a number of leading "natural" cereal brands, including Kellogg's Kashi brand. Shockingly, many of the products tested were found to contain high amounts of genetically engineered grains—some, including Kashi, containing 100 percent genetically engineered grains!

The report also mentions a class action lawsuit filed against Kellogg/Kashi on August 31, 2011, "for allegedly misleading consumers with its "natural" claims. One Kashi® product in particular, GoLean® Shakes, is composed almost entirely of synthetic and unnaturally processed ingredients, according to the plaintiff."

The report contrasts these findings with tests of certified organic cereal products, which by law are not allowed to contain any genetically engineered ingredients or synthetic pesticides. While some were found to be mildly contaminated with genetically engineered ingredients, overall, the report highlights the fact that the ONLY way to ensure you're not buying a genetically engineered product is to buy a product bearing the USDA 100% Organic label.

When Greenwashing Attempts Finally Backfire...

Once the grocer's sign went viral and angry consumers began overloading the Kashi telephone lines, the company switched to a recorded message stating they were temporarily unable to accept calls. Then, according to an April 26 report by Cornucopia Instituteⁱⁱⁱ:

"When the company again began accepting calls, a Kashi consumer affairs employee, Rick Duran, told a Cornucopia staff member that "no actual testing" of their cereal products had been performed. This mimicked the analysis also offered in a response by the company in an online video posted that same afternoon on the Kashi Facebook page. The video spokesperson called Cornucopia's information "scientifically inaccurate and misleading because it was not based on actual testing of Kashi products."

"This characterization of our work by Kashi is blatantly false," said Will Fantle, Cornucopia's Research Director. "We purchased a readily available box of Kashi's GoLean® cereal from a Whole Foods store. We then sent a sample to an accredited national lab for testing, finding that the soy in the natural cereal was 100% GMO."

The Kashi video also suggested, disingenuously, that any genetically engineered contamination in their food was from incidental sources rather than crops intentionally grown from GMO seed. While acknowledging that over 80% of the soybeans grown in North America are GMO, they explain that, "practices in agricultural storage, handling, and shipping, have lead to an environment where GMOs are not sufficiently controlled."

"This is classic public relations spin and crisis communications work, where corporations use misinformation to try to cover their tracks," said Rebekah Wilce, of the Center for Media and Democracy/PRWatch, which helps expose corporate PR tactics..."

Three days later, the USA Today reported^iv:

"... Kellogg got itself into trouble by "not being entirely transparent," says Roger Nyhus, president of Nyhus Communications in Seattle. He sees a trend among some companies "of fudging language to allay consumer concerns and jump on the green bandwagon, and I think it's starting to backfire."  ... Kashi's DeSouza says that by 2015, all new Kashi products will "contain at least 70 percent USDA organic certified ingredients."

So, in a matter of days, Kashi ended up backpedaling as their initial attempt to discredit the Cornucopia Institute's test results backfired, and now the company has agreed to ensure their products will, within the next three years, contain at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients. While this is probably not going to be enough for most health conscious consumers, Kashi's pledge is at least a good demonstration of the power of consumer education, and that consumers ultimately have the power to influence even the largest of food companies. After all, they can only sell what you're willing to buy!

"Natural" Label is Frequently Misused to Lure Health Conscious Consumers

The misuse of the term "natural" by companies who simply pay lip service to  sustainability and the organic movement undermines companies that are truly sincere in their efforts to bring you eco-friendly, unadulterated, safe foods.

And companies like Kashi cannot rightfully claim ignorance about the impact the word "natural" has—marketing firm polls have shown that more people respond favorably to the "all-natural" label than the organic label! It's a powerful word that conjures up wholesomeness in most people's minds. Marketing terms such as "natural" are certainly not chosen willy-nilly. No, they're selected based on what works and what sells. As illustrated by this market research summary by The Hartman Group^v:

"Consumer understanding and shopping behavior of organic and natural foods and beverages continues to change and evolve. Today's consumers are confused, yet continue to be engaged by the vast array of products, messages, symbols and labels they encounter when making decisions about what to eat or drink and where they shop.

... This study will identify the hierarchy among these attributes and point out differences by product category as well as deeper distinctions between "organic" and "natural" themselves. It will enable companies to go beyond the clutter of product call-outs to have a singular focus on what matters most to consumers thereby increasing brand loyalty and likelihood of purchase"

According to a 2010 Hartman Group poll, more than 60 percent of consumers erroneously believe that the "natural" label implies or suggests the absence of genetically engineered ingredients, so Kashi's statement that there's nothing wrong with using genetically engineered ingredients in their "natural" products is rather weak. Food companies know this misconception exists, and they actively prey on consumers' assumptions. Fortunately, the Cornucopia Institute's report has awakened many to this sad truth. As one now-former Kashi consumer stated on the company's Facebook page:

 "Yours is the only brand cereal I have bought for years. Not anymore! You are despicable. Everything you supposedly stand for is a lie."

The Difference Between Natural and Organic

It's important to understand that the "natural" label is not regulated and does not provide a guarantee of being free of genetically engineered ingredients or synthetic pesticides and additives. Currently, the ONLY label that can protect you against genetically engineered ingredients and other unsavory additives is the USDA 100% Organic label.

The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) took effect October 21, 2002, and regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced. The labeling requirements of the NOP apply to raw, fresh products and processed products that contain organic agricultural ingredients^vi. In order to qualify as organic, a product must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity.

Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers^vii. Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones.

• Products labeled "USDA 100% organic" must contain only organically produced materials
• Products labeled simply "USDA organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, whereas
• The label "made with organic ingredients" can contain anywhere between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients

Organic products cannot be irradiated, are not allowed to contain preservatives or flavor enhancing chemicals, nor can they contain traces of heavy metals or other contaminants in excess of tolerances set by the FDA^viii. Additionally, the pesticide residue level cannot be higher than 5 percent of the maximum EPA pesticide tolerance^ix. For the complete National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances under the USDA organic label, see this link^x. To learn more about organic foods and the findings detailed in the Cereal Crimes report, please listen to my interview with Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute.

Download Interview Transcript

Mom Stands Up to Monsanto and Wins Major Environmental Award

Genetically engineered foods do not just pose a health hazard for those consuming them. GE crops also threaten the health of the environment and those living in GE farming communities, due to the heavy use of pesticides required to grow these crops.

A woman in Argentina who was instrumental in getting the president of Argentina to investigate the connection between pesticide use and the incidence of cancer and other devastating illnesses and deaths in her town has been awarded the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize—the world's largest prize honoring grassroots environmentalists. The Goldman recognizes unsung heroes who often take great personal risks to work to protect the world's natural resources and human lives.

Thirteen years ago Sofia Gatica gave birth to a daughter who died three days later of kidney failure. Determined to learn what killed her child, she learned that the people in her working-class neighborhood, surrounded by genetically engineered soy fields and subjected to regular insecticide spraying, were plagued with unexplained health issues including high rates of neurological and respiratory diseases, birth defects, and infant mortality. Even though she faced an uphill battle and death threats, Gatica succeeded in getting a municipal ordinance passed prohibiting aerial spraying around her town. Argentina's Supreme Court followed with a ruling that not only banned chemical spraying near populated areas, but ordered the government and soy producers to prove the chemicals are safe.  

The Devastating Health Effects of Roundup

As of July 2013, Argentina will no longer allow the use of endulsofan, an off-patent organochlorine insecticide, and Gatica is currently involved with an effort to enact a nationwide ban on glyphosate as well. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup, which is used on all genetically engineered Roundup-Ready crops, which have been genetically altered to withstand otherwise lethal doses of the chemical.

Glyphosate is easily one of the world's most overlooked poisons. Research published in 2010 showed that the chemical, which works by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSP synthase that is necessary for plants to grow, causes birth defects in frogs and chicken embryos at far lower levels than used in agricultural and garden applications^xii. The malformations primarily affected the:

• Skull
• Face
• Midline and developing brain
• Spinal cord

The amount of glyphosate residue you can be exposed to through food is remarkably high, in terms of being close to the maximum residue limit (MRL) allowed. According to a report in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, the highest MRL for glyphosate in food and feed products in the EU is 20 mg/kg. Genetically engineered soybeans have been found to contain residue levels as high as 17 mg/kg, and malformations in frog and chicken embryos occurred at 2.03 mg/kg!^xiiiThat's 10 times lower than the MRL. Other independent scientific research has also found that glyphosate has the potential to cause grave health damage, including a 2009 study that tested formulations of Roundup that were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human cells, and even then the cells died within 24 hours.^xiv

Why We MUST Insist on Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

Labeling may be the only way to stop the proliferation of genetically engineered foods in the U.S,, but simple petitions will likely fail. We strongly support state initiatives, such as California's ballot initiative to require labeling for genetically engineered foods sold in their state. A coalition of consumer, public health and environmental organizations, food companies, and individuals has already submitted the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act to the State Attorney General, and thousands of volunteers have done an outstanding job collecting the required signatures.

Now, the campaign needs funding. Needless to say, it's going to be an enormous battle, as the biotech industry will outspend us by 100 to 1, if not more, for their propaganda aimed at stopping Californians from voting it into law.

I urge you to participate in the Money Bomb Against Monsanto, which was launched on May 1. By May 26, a broad coalition of food-, farming-, health groups, and organic food manufacturers, will attempt to raise one million dollars (i.e. "The Money Bomb") to help get this law passed.

Donations can be made online, via regular snail mail, and over the phone. And to sweeten the deal further, a group of "Right to Know" public interest organizations and organic companies have pledged to match the first million dollars raised in this nationwide "Drop the Money Bomb on Monsanto Campaign." So please, help us raise two million dollars to win this historic campaign!

You can donate online, by phone, or by dropping a check in the mail.

References:

• ⁱ USA Today April 29, 2012
• ⁱⁱ Cornucopia Institute, Cereal Crimes Report, October 11, 2011
• ⁱⁱⁱ Cornucopia Institute April 26, 2012
• ^iv USA Today April 29, 2012
• ^v Hartman Group, Beyond Organic and Natural: Resolving Confusion in Marketing Foods and Beverages
• ^vi United States Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program, Organic Labeling and Marketing Information
• ^vii Food Marketing Institute, Natural and Organic Foods, Executive Summary
• ^viii US Food and Drug Administration, August 2000, Action levels for poisonous or deleterious substances in human food and animal feed
• ^ix Environmental Protection Agency, Pesticides: Health and Safety, Pesticides and Food:
  
  What the Pesticide Residue Limits are on Food
• ^x US Department of Agriculture, The National list of allowed and prohibited substances
• ^xi Non-GMO Project
• ^xii Chemical Research in Toxicology 2010; 23(10):1586–1595
• ^xiii Chemical Research in Toxicology 2010; 23(10):1586–1595
• ^xiv Chemical Research in Toxicology 2009 Jan;22(1):97-105.

• USA Today April 29, 2012

• Bloomberg May 7, 2012

  Something Historical is About to Happen - But Your Participation is Critical

  The Toxin So Dangerous It's Causing Catastrophic Birth Defects

  The One and Only Way You Can Tell if a Food is GMO-Free

[Read the rest of this article...]

By Dr. Mercola

As most of you know, the conventional medical system tends to equate "health" with the absence of symptoms of disease. The entire industry is built around treating symptoms with expensive patented drugs, many of which are profoundly toxic and dangerous.

Pharmaceutical companies now rule the entire healthcare system, and they go to great lengths to protect their profits, even if it means sacrificing patients' health in the long run.

A recent story from the United Kingdom illustrates how far drug companies will go to make sure their expensive drugs are used when cheaper ones are available, and how medical facilities completely ignore more obvious cost-saving and safe solutions.

In London, in a legal maneuver intended to eliminate their competition, drug maker Novartis is now trying to force state-run hospitals to use their eye drug, which costs nearly 12 times as much as a cheaper drug the hospitals are currently using.

Novartis' drug, Lucentis, is the only one recommended for treatment of macular degeneration in Great Britain. But in an effort to save money, hospitals have been using the cancer drug Avastin instead, even though it's an off-label use that its manufacturer, Roche, says it hasn't even studied. (Avastin was recently recalled by the U.S. FDA because of its dangerous side effects, which include heart attacks.)

Novartis is now demanding a judicial review, to make the hospitals comply with the standard recommendation to use their drug and stop using Avastin off-label to treat this eye disease. Needless to say, using a dangerous cancer drug off-label to treat macular degeneration is far from an ideal solution, even though it's 12 times cheaper than the other drug alternative...

If they really wanted to save money and spare people's eyesight, they'd start paying closer attention to the research into astaxanthin. Studies have shown this safe and natural supplement is therapeutic for macular degeneration, and it's a product anyone can take without running the risk of potentially devastating side effects. Astaxanthin may in fact be one of the most powerful nutrients ever discovered for eye health, and it costs pennies on the dollar compared to either Lucentis or Avastin.

Research Supports Astaxanthin for Macular Degeneration

While the off-label use of Avastin for macular degeneration is said to be based on a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine last year, which showed Avastin worked just as well as Lucentis for treating macular degeneration, numerous studies exist demonstrating the treatment potential of astaxanthin for this eye disorder. For example, one 2008 study, published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, concluded thatⁱ:

"Astaxanthin treatment, together with inflammatory processes including NF-kB activation, subsequent upregulation of inflammatory molecules, and macrophage infiltration, led to significant suppression of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) development. The present study suggests the possibility of astaxanthin supplementation as a therapeutic strategy to suppress CNV associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)."

For more information, please see this previous article that describes how astaxanthin can help protect your eyesight.

Hospitals Seeing More Babies Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs

Conventional medicine is more than a little fond of using costly, toxic drugs. Unfortunately, this "health" strategy exacts a tremendously high price, both in terms of dollars and cents and in actual health status. I've written a lot about the many side effects of most drug categories on the market, but one aspect that doesn't get much publicity is the generational impact of pharmaceutical drug use.

In one of the most startling news reports yet on the overuse of opioid drugs like Oxycontin in America, a new study found that newborns suffering from withdrawal symptoms due to their mothers' use of prescription painkillers tripled between 2000 and 2009.

An estimated 13,500 babies are now born with opioid withdrawal symptoms each year. Over the same time period the number of women using these drugs quintupled. Health-care costs to treat these drug addicted babies rose from $190 million to a whopping $720 million.

"This serves as a reminder that this is really a public health emergency," lead author Dr. Stephen Patrick of the University of Michigan told JAMA Reportⁱⁱ.

The study also found that the withdrawal problems appear to affect poor children disproportionately: 78 percent of the drug-addicted babies were born to mothers on Medicaid (an indication of poverty level), compared to 46 percent born to mothers receiving no public aid.

According to Time Magazineⁱⁱⁱ:

"Prescription drug misuse has risen in tandem with a sharp increase in legitimate prescriptions for pain medication, owing to a better recognition of the high prevalence of severe chronic pain. Both trends are likely to have affected painkiller use by pregnant women, but it is difficult to say exactly how many women use the drugs legitimately and how many do so without a prescription."

Either way, it's interesting to note that while there was great outcry over the horrors of "crack babies" being born to mothers abusing crack-cocaine, the response to legal drug addiction in newborn babies is far more muted. Take the comment of Carl Hart, associate professor of psychology at Columbia University, for example, who is quoted in the featured Time articles as saying:

"[The research] failed to take into account that there are many women who are prescribed opioids for medical reasons and these women are following their physicians' orders and behaving in the way that society wants them to behave. There's no distinction made between these women and those who are using opioids illicitly."

My question is: Does it really make a difference? Whether you're following doctor's "orders" and "behaving the way society wants you to behave" by dutifully taking your drugs or not, the harm inflicted is real—and it's caused by overuse of prescription drugs.

The Rise of Polypharmacy

Another factor of our current drug use trend that is frequently ignored is the impact of polypharmacy, i.e. the use of multiple drugs. For example, people with chronic pain or depression will oftentimes take more than one drug to ease their daily suffering. This exponentially increases your risk of side effects, but many still ignore this obvious fact. This holds true for ALL drugs, of course, not just pain medications and antidepressants.

There's no doubt that the U.S. has been purposely manipulated into becoming a "polypharmacy nation." In just one decade, from 1992 to 2002, the number of prescriptions written increased by a whopping 61 percent, and the number of opiate prescriptions increased by almost 400 percent in that same timeframe.

It doesn't have to be this way. My 83 year old father and 77 year old mother do not take ANY drugs. Whenever they have to go for a conventional medical visit, their providers are always shocked at this fact, as it's in stark contrast to the vast majority of the rest of the population.

According to statistics from the Kaiser Health Foundation^iv, the average American adult, aged 19 to 64, now takes more than 11 prescription drugs. So while polypharmacy used to be primarily a concern for seniors—who, on average fill more than 31 prescriptions per year—polypharmacy now applies to virtually everyone, including children and toddlers, whose drug use now averages out to four or more drugs per child!

This is a very significant problem that is not getting much attention. I've also heard many stories of concerned patients bringing it up with their doctors, only to be rebuffed. Still, it's essential to understand that when you mix two or more drugs together, you exponentially increase your chances of suffering serious side effects. But just how did we get to the point where the average American is taking nearly a dozen pharmaceutical drugs daily?

Big Pharma Wants You Hooked on Drugs for Life

A major factor is the fact that the U.S. allows direct-to-consumer advertising for drugs. Most other nations do not allow pharmaceutical advertising, and their population consequently also does not consume nearly as many drugs. Advertising works—that's a fact! There are two effective marketing strategies employed by drug companies on a regular basis, and they include:

1. Convincing you that drugs you used to take only when you needed them are now everyday "prevention" necessities in the form of a prescription; and
2. Selling you the idea that just being at risk for a chronic disease makes you someone who should be taking a drug for the disease.

The supreme success of these two strategies arises from the fact that YOU are the one who then demands it from your doctor. Furthermore, the treatment goal of most of the drugs advertised is to keep taking them for life. After all, if you're at risk for a chronic disease, that risk never goes away, so you have to keep taking the drug until you die, or cannot afford it any longer.

In a recent article, Martha Rosenberg^v lists six types of drugs that are "marketed for perpetuity," meaning they're intended to be taken for life. This type of marketing has also been profoundly effective. According to statistics, 46 percent of all Americans take five or more prescriptions chronically (as opposed to "as needed").

Sadly most of these drugs come with potential side effects that can be far worse than your original symptom, and few of them have been definitively proven to actually provide any significant health benefits. In fact, some of these drugs have been found to worsen the very condition they're meant to treat (such as antidepressants, statins, proton pump inhibitors, and asthma-control meds), and/or cause other serious diseases. For more information, please follow the hyperlinks provided:

ADHD Drugs and Drugs for Pediatric Psychopathologies, such as "pediatric bipolar disorder"	Antidepressants	Statins
Hormone Replacement Therapy	Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)	Asthma-Control Medicines

The Incredible Cost of Polypharmacy and Perpetual Drug Use

Four years ago, an analysis of federal data by the nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) discovered that in the first quarter of 2008, fatalities from adverse drug reactions accounted for 23 percent of all adverse reaction reports!^vi

It's quite likely that this could be due to the exponential increase in polypharmacy. And it should serve as a wakeup call for everyone. We're not talking about headaches and nausea anymore—we're talking about death being reported as the side effect in nearly one out of every four cases...

Excessive drug use is also extremely expensive. First, drugs cost the US health care system nearly one trillion dollars a year. But that's not all. We also spend tens of billions of dollars to treat the side effects of those drugs! And despite all these "magic pills," the United States ranks 49th in the world for both male and female life expectancy, down from 24th in 1999.

From my point of view, the idea that "more and better drugs" is the answer to our nation's failing health is clearly misguided. This is also part and parcel of the point I wanted to make in the beginning of this article, which is: Why focus on trying to determine which toxic and expensive drug to use when there are safer, in many cases completely natural, alternatives available? No one has died yet from too many whole food supplements, but drugs taken as prescribed kill at least 106,000 people annually and more than two million people suffer serious side effects.

Isn't it time for another approach? Like Taking Control of Your Health without drugs.

References:

• ⁱ Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2008
• ⁱⁱ Time Healthland May 1, 2012

• ⁱⁱⁱ Time Healthland May 1, 2012
• ^iv Statehealthfacts.org, Retail Prescription Drugs Filled at Pharmacies (Annual per Capita by Age), 2010
• ^v AlterNet April 26, 2012
• ^vi The Institute for Safe Medication Practices

• Yahoo!News April 24, 2012

• Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2008

• Biotechnology Advances April 9, 2011

• Time Healthland May 1, 2012

• CNN Health April 28, 2012

  The Hidden Dangers of Taking More Than One Medication at Once

  America’s Newest Drug Addicts: How Legal Drugs are Destroying America…

  How to Brand a Disease - and Sell a Cure

[Read the rest of this article...]

By Dr. Mercola

Looking for ways to boost your intellect, stave off mental aging, and maybe even live a longer life? You might be surprised to learn that not only do such strategies exist, but many are easily attainable by making simple tweaks here and there to your daily routine. Embracing the strategies that follow may give a hearty boost to your brainpower, help you keep mentally healthy and ultimately even make yourself smarter.

Nine Tips for a Smarter You …

1. Exercise

Exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections and protecting them from damage. During exercise nerve cells release proteins known as neurotrophic factors. One in particular, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health, and directly benefits cognitive functions, including learning. Further, exercise provides protective effects to your brain through:

• The production of nerve-protecting compounds
• Greater blood flow to your brain
• Improved development and survival of neurons
• Decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke

A 2010 study on primates published in Neuroscienceⁱ also revealed that regular exercise not only improved blood flow to the brain, but also helped the monkeys learn new tasks twice as quickly as non-exercising monkeys, a benefit the researchers believe would hold true for people as well.

Still more research has shown that exercise boosts mitochondria, organelles that produce energy within every cell of your body, which suggests exercise may help your brain work faster and more efficiently.ⁱⁱ

To get the most out of your workouts, I recommend a comprehensive program that includes Peak Fitness high-intensity exercise, strength training, stretching, and core work.

2. Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats

Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an omega-3 fat, is an essential structural component of both your brain and retina. Approximately 60 percent of your brain is composed of fats—25 percent of which is DHA. DHA is also an essential structural ingredient of breast milk, which is believed to be a major reason why breastfed babies consistently score higher on IQ tests than formula-fed babies.

Omega-3 fats such as DHA are considered essential because your body cannot produce it, and must get it from your daily diet. DHA-rich foods include fish, liver, and brain—all of which are no longer consumed in great amounts by most Americans.

DHA is found in high levels in your neurons -- the cells of your central nervous system, where it provides structural support. When your omega-3 intake is inadequate, your nerve cells become stiff and more prone to inflammation as the missing omega-3 fats are substituted with cholesterol and omega-6 instead. Once your nerve cells become rigid and inflamed, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell and within cells become compromised.

The influence of omega-3 fat on physical and mental health has been the subject of intense research over the last four decades, and there's compelling evidence that animal-based omega-3 fats can help reduce the symptoms of a variety of psychiatric illnesses and degenerative brain disorders. For example, low DHA levels have been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.

Even more exciting is research showing that degenerative conditions can not only be prevented but also potentially reversed. For example, in one study, 485 elderly volunteers suffering from memory deficits saw significant improvement after taking 900 mg of DHA per day for 24 weeks, compared with controls.ⁱⁱⁱ

Another study found significant improvement in verbal fluency scores after taking 800 mg of DHA per day for four months compared with placebo.^iv Furthermore, memory and rate of learning were significantly improved when DHA was combined with 12 mg of lutein per day.

Interestingly, research suggests that the unsaturated fatty acid composition of normal brain tissue is age-specific, which could imply that the older you get, the greater your need for animal-based omega-3 fat to prevent mental decline and brain degeneration.

To compensate for our inherently low omega-3 diet, a high quality animal-based omega-3 supplement is something that I recommend for virtually everyone, especially if you're pregnant. I prefer krill oil compared to all other animal-based omega-3's, because while the metabolic effects of krill oil and fish oil are "essentially similar," krill oil is as effective as fish oil despite the fact that it contains less EPA and DHA.^v This is because krill oil is absorbed up to 10-15 times as well as fish oil, due to its molecular composition, and is less prone to oxidation (rancidity) because it is naturally complexed with the potent fat-soluble antioxidant astaxanthin.

3. Sleep

Sleep is not only essential for regenerating your physical body, but it is imperative for reaching new mental insights and being able to see new creative solutions to old problems. Sleep removes the blinders and helps "reset" your brain to look at problems from a different perspective, which is crucial to creativity.

Research from Harvard indicates that people are 33 percent more likely to infer connections among distantly related ideas after sleeping, but few realize that their performance has actually improved. Sleep is also known to enhance your memories and help you "practice" and improve your performance of challenging skills. In fact, a single night of sleeping only four to six hours can impact your ability to think clearly the next day.

The process of growth, known as plasticity, is believed to underlie the brain's capacity to control behavior, including learning and memory. Plasticity occurs when neurons are stimulated by events, or information, from the environment. However, sleep and sleep loss modify the expression of several genes and gene products that may be important for synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, certain forms of long-term potentiation, a neural process associated with the laying down of learning and memory, can be elicited in sleep, suggesting synaptic connections are strengthened while you slumber.

As you might suspect, this holds true for infants too, and research shows that naps can give a boost to babies' brainpower. Specifically, infants who slept in between learning and testing sessions had a better ability to recognize patterns in new information, which signals an important change in memory that plays an essential role in cognitive development.^vi Even among adults, a mid-day nap was found to dramatically boost and restore brainpower.^vii You can find 33 tips to help you get the shut-eye you need here.

4. Coconut Oil

One of the primary fuels your brain needs is glucose, which is converted into energy. Your brain actually manufactures its own insulin to convert glucose in your bloodstream into the food it needs to survive.

If your brain's production of insulin decreases, your brain literally begins to starve, as it's deprived of the glucose-converted energy it needs to function normally. This is what happens to Alzheimer's patients -- portions of their brain start to atrophy, or starve, leading to impaired functioning and eventual loss of memory, speech, movement and personality.

In effect, your brain can begin to atrophy from starvation if it becomes insulin resistant and loses its ability to convert glucose into energy. Fortunately, your brain is able to run on more than one type of energy supply, and this is where coconut oil enters the picture.

There's another substance that can feed your brain and prevent brain atrophy. It may even restore and renew neuron and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in.

The substance in question is called ketone bodies or ketoacids. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat (as opposed to glucose) into energy, and a primary source of ketone bodies are the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil! Coconut oil contains about 66 percent MCTs. Therapeutic levels of MCTs have been studied at 20 grams per day. According to research by Dr. Mary Newport, just over two tablespoons of coconut oil (about 35 ml or 7 level teaspoons) would supply you with the equivalent of 20 grams of MCT, which is indicated as either a preventative measure against degenerative neurological diseases, or as a treatment for an already established case.

Everyone tolerates coconut oil differently, so you may have to start slowly and build up to these therapeutic levels. My recommendation is to start with one teaspoon, taken with food in the mornings. Gradually add more coconut oil every few days until you are able to tolerate four tablespoons. Coconut oil is best taken with food, to avoid upsetting your stomach.

5. Vitamin D

Activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain, and researchers have also located metabolic pathways for vitamin D in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain, areas that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.

The National Institutes of Mental Health recently concluded that it is vital that the mother get enough vitamin D while pregnant in order for the baby's brain to develop properly. The child must also get enough vitamin D after birth for "normal" brain functioning. In older adults, too, research has shown that low vitamin D levels are associated with poorer brain function, and increasing levels may help keep older adults mentally fit.^viii

Appropriate sun exposure would take care of these issues, as the sun is irreplaceable when it comes to the body's ability to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Appropriate sun exposure is all it takes to keep your levels where they need to be for healthy brain function. If this is not an option, a safe tanning bed is the next best alternative, followed by a vitamin D3 supplement. It now appears as though most adults need about 8,000 IU's of vitamin D a day in order to get their serum levels above 40 ng/ml, which is the lowest they should be. Ideally, your serum levels should be between 50-70 ng/ml, and up to 100 ng/ml to treat cancer and heart disease. However, it's important to realize that there's no magic dosage when it comes to vitamin D. What's important is your serum level, so you need to get your vitamin D levels tested to make sure you're staying within the optimal and therapeutic ranges as indicated below.

6. Optimize Your Gut Flora

Your gut is your "second brain," and your gut bacteria transmits information to your brain via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem into your enteric nervous system (the nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract). There is a close connection between abnormal gut flora and abnormal brain development, and just as you have neurons in your brain, you also have neurons in your gut -- including neurons that produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is also found in your brain and is linked to mood.

Quite simply, your gut health can impact your brain function, psyche, and behavior, as they are interconnected and interdependent in a number of different ways.

Your gut bacteria are an active and integrated part of your body, and as such are heavily dependent on your diet and vulnerable to your lifestyle. If you consume a lot of processed foods and sweetened drinks, for instance, your gut bacteria are likely going to be severely compromised because processed foods in general will destroy healthy microflora and sugars of all kinds feed bad bacteria and yeast. Limiting sugar and processed foods, while eating traditionally fermented foods (rich in naturally occurring good bacteria), taking a probiotic supplement and breastfeeding your baby are among the best ways to optimize gut flora and subsequently support brain health.

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7. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, or rather a lack thereof, has been called the "canary in the coalmine" for your future brain health, and recent research has bolstered the importance of this vitamin in keeping your mind sharp as you age. According to the latest research, people with high levels of markers for vitamin B12 deficiency were more likely to score lower on cognitive tests, as well as have a smaller total brain volume,^ix which suggests a lack of the vitamin may contribute to brain shrinkage.

Mental fogginess and problems with memory are two of the top warning signs that you have vitamin B12 deficiency, and this is indicative of its importance for your brain health.

In addition, a Finnish study found that people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their later years.^x For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by 2 percent. Research also shows that supplementing with B vitamins, including B12, helps to slow brain atrophy in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (brain atrophy is a well-established characteristic of Alzheimer's disease).^xi

Vitamin B12 deficiency is widespread and many have trouble absorbing this nutrient properly from food sources. Blood tests for vitamin B12 are not always a reliable indicator of B12 status, so watching for symptoms of deficiency and increasing your dietary and supplemental intake is a practical alternative to blood testing.

B12 is available in its natural form only in animal food sources. These include seafood, beef, chicken, pork, milk, and eggs. If you don't consume enough of these animal products (and I don't recommend consuming seafood unless you know it is from a pure water source) to get an adequate supply of B12, or if your body's ability to absorb the vitamin from food is compromised, vitamin B12 supplementation is completely non-toxic and inexpensive, especially when compared to the cost of laboratory testing. I recommend an under-the-tongue fine mist spray, as this technology helps you absorb the vitamin into the fine capillaries under your tongue.

8. Listen to Music

It's long been theorized that listening to music may boost your brainpower; you've probably heard of this with the "Mozart Effect," which suggests listening to classical music can make you smarter. Indeed, research has shown that listening to music while exercising boosted cognitive levels and verbal fluency skills in people diagnosed with coronary artery disease (coronary artery disease has been linked to a decline in cognitive abilities). In this study, signs of improvement in the verbal fluency areas more than doubled after listening to music compared to that of the non-music session.^xii

Listening to music has also been associated with enhanced cognitive functioning and improved mental focus among healthy adults, so take advantage of this simple pleasure whenever you can.

9. Challenge Your Mind

One of the simplest methods to boost your brain function is to keep on learning. The size and structure of neurons and the connections between them actually change as you learn. This can take on many forms above and beyond book learning to include activities like traveling, learning to play a musical instrument or speak a foreign language, or participating in social and community activities.

Another important method? Brain aerobics. As with learning, challenging your brain with mind-training exercises can keep your brain fit as you age. This can be something as simple as thinking of famous people whose first names begin with the letter A, doing crossword puzzles or playing board games that get you thinking. Research has even shown that surfing the Web activates regions in your brain related to decision-making and complex reasoning.^xiii So unlike passively watching TV, using the Internet is an engaging task that may actually help to improve your brainpower.

References:

• ⁱ Neuroscience. 2010 Jun 2;167(4):1239-48.
• ⁱⁱ Journal of Applied Physiology February 15, 2012 vol. 112 no. 4 552-559
• ⁱⁱⁱ Alzheimer's and Dementia 2010 Nov;6(6):456-64
• ^iv Nutritional Neuroscience 2008 Apr;11(2):75-83
• ^v Lipids. 2011 Jan;46(1):37-46
• ^vi Psychological Science August 2006; 17(8): 670
• ^vii American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting, San Diego, California, February 21, 2010
• ^viii J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;80(7):722-9.
• ^ix Neurology. 2011 Sep 27;77(13):1276-82.
• ^x Neurology. 2010 Oct 19;75(16):1402-3.
• ^xi PLoS ONE 5(9): e12244.
• ^xii Heart Lung. 2003 Nov-Dec;32(6):368-73.
• ^xiii Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;17(2):116-26.

• Gizmodo April 28, 2012

  Scientists Figure Out the Cause of Brain Farts

  This Type of Exercise Can Actually Make You Smarter

  A Simple Way to Get Smarter

[Read the rest of this article...]

By Dr. Mercola

The conventional cancer therapies currently available are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy; aka the "cut, poison, burn" model. Chemotherapy is typically the main regimen for most cancers.

However, many tumors develop resistance to these harsh drugs, known as chemoresistance, which can complicate matters, to say the least. Chemoresistance also leads to other complications.

Hence researchers are looking for effective chemosensitizers that can help overcome such resistance. This strategy basically uses one drug to enhance the activity of another, by modulating the mechanisms that cause the resistance.

A number of natural products and compounds have been shown to act as effective chemosensitizers. Two of the most promising are resveratrol and curcumin, which I'll address here. Last year, several interesting studies were published on these two products, pertaining to their value in the treatment of cancer.

Resveratrol—A Natural Chemosensitizer

Natural agents such as resveratrol, a potent antioxidant chemical found in red wine and other foods, have multitargeting properties, which make them ideally suited for anti-cancer drugs. In fact, more than 60 percent of the cancer drugs currently available are based on natural ingredients for this very reason. Natural compounds are also inexpensive, low in toxicity, and are readily available.

In a 2011 review of dietary agents that sensitize tumors, making them more susceptible to the treatment with chemotherapy drugs, resveratrol was featured as a clear candidateⁱ. Specific types of tumors shown to respond favorably include:

Lung carcinoma	Acute myeloid- and promyelocytic leukemia	Multiple myeloma
Prostate cancer	Oral epidermoid carcinoma	Pancreatic cancer

The first evidence of resveratrol's anti-cancer effects was published in 1997. The findings received great interest from cancer researchers, and many studies have been devoted to this potent antioxidant since then. Resveratrol, which can be found in red wine, red grape skins, fruits, vegetables, legumes and weeds, has been found to have the following actions and functions:

• Broad-spectrum antimicrobial
• Anti-infective
• Antioxidant
• Cardio-protective
• Anti-cancer

According to the review, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciencesⁱⁱ:

"The anticancer activities of resveratrol are mediated through modulation of several cell-signaling molecules that regulate cell cycle progression, inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis of tumor cells. It has been shown that resveratrol can sensitize resistant cells to chemotherapeutic agents by overcoming one or more mechanisms of chemoresistance. In some tumor cells, however, resveratrol has been shown to act as chemoprotector."

The fact that it can in some cases act as a chemoprotector, meaning, it can reduce the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents, "present a major caveat for use of resveratrol as a chemosensitizer," the authors warn. In an earlier study, the researchers concluded that using resveratrol with the cancer drug Paclitaxel, for example, was detrimental in certain types of cancers, such as breast cancerⁱⁱⁱ.

Resveratrol May Help Alleviate Cancer Treatment Side Effects

In another study from last year, published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, resveratrol was found to help alleviate many of the debilitating side effects of conventional cancer treatments^iv, such as:

The authors point out there's mounting evidence indicating that these symptoms are primarily caused by dysregulation of inflammatory pathways in your body. Hence anti-inflammatory compounds that can modulate the inflammatory pathways and influence inflammatory molecules may help improve these symptoms in cancer patients. They name several nutritional agents known to do just that, including:

• Resveratrol
• Curcumin
• Genistein
• Epigallocatechin gallate
• Lycopene

According to the authors^v:

"These nutraceuticals are chemically diverse and affect production of various inflammatory cytokines. Extensive research in recent years has indicated that chronic inflammation leads to various chronic disorders associated with cancer. A central role in the induction of chronic inflammation is played by a set of genes encoding proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, TNFa and monocyte chemotactic protein 1. What is common to all these molecules is that they are regulated by the transcription factor NFkB. This makes NFkB an appealing target for therapeutic intervention.

A number of compounds have been identified that can suppress NFkB activation, including antioxidants, protease inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, salicylates, immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory agents." [Emphasis mine]

This brings us to the next interesting fact about natural products like resveratrol and curcumin, namely their impact on your genetic expression. As just mentioned, your genetic expression plays a central role in chronic inflammation, and certain nutrients can have a potent protective influence by either turning genes on or off.

Understanding Epigenetics

The role of epigenetics in health and disease is becoming ever clearer, and I firmly believe this field of study will eventually supplant the current medical paradigm. The conventional belief has been that genes controlled their own expression and were therefore the direct cause of certain diseases. This laid the groundwork for the idea that your genes predetermined your health.

But genes are in fact NOT self-regulating. Having "bad genes," does not at all mean you're doomed to suffer some inevitable fate like cancer!

Genes are merely blueprints, and these blueprints are activated and controlled by something else entirely, namely their environment. This environmental information—which includes diet, toxic exposures, as well as thoughts and emotions, and more—can create more than 30,000 different variations from each blueprint, allowing for an astounding amount of leeway in modifying the expression or "read-out" of each gene. As a result of these findings, we're now finally seeing science alter its course to investigate the power of optimal nutrition to improve health and prevent chronic disease from occurring in the first place.

In May last year, a study investigating curcumin's ability to affect epigenetic regulation was published in the journal Genes & Nutritio^vi. The authors write:

"Epigenetic regulation, which includes changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and alteration in microRNA (miRNA) expression without any change in the DNA sequence, constitutes an important mechanism by which dietary components can selectively activate or inactivate gene expression.

Curcumin, a component of the golden spice Curcuma longa, commonly known as turmeric, has recently been determined to induce epigenetic changes... [E]pigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and resveratrol, have [also] been shown to alter epigenetic mechanisms, which may lead to increased sensitivity of cancer cells to conventional agents and thus inhibition of tumor growth." [Emphasis mine]

Curcumin—A Potent Anti-Cancer Herb

Curcumin currently has the most evidence-based literature supporting its use against cancer among all nutrients^vii. Interestingly this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancerous. Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers, and has been shown to be nontoxic. Researchers have found that curcumin can affect more than 100 different pathways, once it gets into the cell. More specifically, curcumin has been found to:

Another study from last year, published in the Natural Product Reports describes curcumin as being therapeutic for a wide range of diseases aside from cancer^viii, such as:

A persistent question has been: How can a single agent possess such diverse effects? Part of the answer lies in the herb's ability to affect signaling molecules. For example, curcumin has been shown to directly interact with:

According to the authors of the NPR paper^ix:

"The molecular basis of a disease is related to dysregulation of an array of signaling molecules. With the advent of advanced molecular tools, we now know that over 500 different genes of the signaling pathways control any given disease. However, most currently available treatments are based on the modulation of a specific single target. Curcumin is a functionally labile molecule with the potential to modulate the biological activity of a number of signaling molecules either indirectly or directly..." [Emphasis mine]

How to Use Curcumin

To get the full benefits curcumin has to offer you need to understand that it is very poorly absorbed. You simply can't blindly choose a supplement and expect to achieve the results described in this paper. There is extensive research going on by a number of organizations to provide a commercial product. 

You can look for a turmeric extract that contains 100 percent certified organic ingredients, with at least 95 percent curcuminoids. The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product.

Unfortunately, at the present time there really are no formulations available for the use against cancer. This is because relatively high doses are required and curcumin is not absorbed that well.

According to Dr. William LaValley, one of the leading medicine cancer physicians I personally know, typical anticancer doses are up to three grams of good bioavailable curcumin extract, three to four times daily. One work-around is to use the curcumin powder and make a microemulsion of it by combining a tablespoon of the powder and mixing it into 1-2 egg yolks and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a high speed hand blender to emulsify the powder.

Another strategy that can help increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and heat the water and curcumin. After boiling it for ten minutes you will have created a 12 percent solution that you can drink once it has cooled down. It will have a woody taste. The curcumin will gradually fall out of solution however. In about six hours it will be a 6 percent solution, so it's best to drink the water within four hours. Dr. LaValley is also helping us beta test new curcumin preparations that will radically simplify this process.

Cancer Prevention 101...

It is certainly encouraging to see cancer research on herbs such as turmeric, and antioxidants like resveratrol. However, it's virtually impossible to discuss cancer prevention and treatment without touching on one of the absolute best cancer prevention nutrients ever discovered, namely vitamin D.

As a powerful neuro-regulatory steroid, vitamin D is likely more potent than curcumin, as its epigenetic influence covers more than 2,000 genes in your body—or about 10 percent of all genes! There are also more than 830 peer reviewed scientific studies showing vitamin D's effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of cancer. In terms of protecting against cancer, vitamin D has been found to offer protection in a number of ways, including:

• Regulating genetic expression
• Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
• Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
• Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
• Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous

Personally, I believe it is virtually malpractice to not optimize vitamin D levels when treating someone with cancer. In this case, your vitamin D levels should be around 70-100 ng/ml. For more information about optimizing your vitamin D levels, please see my previous article Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

If the notion that sun exposure can actually help prevent cancer is still new to you, I highly recommend you watch my one-hour vitamin D lecture to clear up any confusion. It's important to understand that the risk of skin cancer from the sun comes only from excessive exposure. Meanwhile, countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer because their vitamin D levels are too low from lack of sun exposure.

Other Natural (and Epigenetic) Cancer Prevention Strategies

When it comes to cancer and other chronic diseases, effective prevention trumps progressive treatments in my eyes. I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of ever developing cancer (and radically improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it) by following some relatively simple risk reduction strategies—all of which help promote a healthful biological environment in which your cells can thrive and combat disease naturally.

You don't read or hear much about these strategies because they have not been formally "proven" yet by conservative researchers. Beyond what's already been covered above, the remainder of my cancer prevention strategies include:

1. Reduce or eliminate your processed food, fructose and grain carbohydrate intake.
2. Control your fasting insulin and leptin levels.  Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer, and improved insulin and leptin control is the natural outcome of reducing or eliminating fructose, grains, and processed foods from your diet
3. Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil or fish oil and reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
4. Get regular exercise. One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks. Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer.
   
   The trick about exercise, though, is understanding how to use it as a precise tool. This ensures you are getting enough to achieve the benefit, not too much to cause injury, and the right variety to balance your entire physical structure and maintain strength and flexibility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. If you have limited time Peak Fitness exercises are your best bet but ideally you should have a good strength training program as well.
5. Get regular, good quality sleep.
6. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
7. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
8. Limit your exposure and provide protection for yourself from EMF produced by cell phone towers, base stations, cell phones and WiFi stations. On May 31, 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared that cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic to humans."^x
9. Avoid frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead.
10. Have a tool to permanently reprogram the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
11. Eat at least one-third of your diet in the form of raw food.

References:

• ⁱ Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences January 2011; 1215: 150-160
• ⁱⁱ Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences January 2011; 1215: 150-160
• ⁱⁱⁱ European Journal of Cancer July 2010;46(10):1882-91
• ^iv Experimental Biology and Medicine 2011, 236:658-671
• ^v See reference iv
• ^vi Genes & Nutrition May 2011 6(2): 93–108
• ^vii GreenMedInfo.com Curcumin Medical Literature list
• ^viii Natural Products Report 2011; 28: 1937-1955
• ^ix See reference viii
• ^x ElectromagneticHealth.org, WHO/IARC Classifies Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as Possibly Carcinogenic 

• Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences January 2011; 1215:150-160

• Experimental Biology and Medicine 2011; 236: 658-671

• Genes Nutrition May 2011; 6(2): 93–108

• Natural Product Reports 2011; (12)28: 1937-1955

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