Health Alerts from Dr. Mercola

Aspirin Use Linked to Macular Degeneration

January 14, 2013

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/14/aspirin-increases-macular-degeneration-risk.aspx?e_cid=20130114_PRNLv1_art_2

Story at-a-glance

• Regular aspirin use increased participants’ risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness, according to new research; a separate study published last year also revealed a connection between frequent aspirin use and the development of AMD
• Walking barefoot on the Earth’s surface, a practice known as “grounding,” provides an effective, inexpensive and non-toxic alternative to aspirin that is linked to pain relief and even helping to thin your blood, which may offer heart protection
• It’s thought that the influx of free electrons from the Earth's surface during grounding will help to neutralize free radicals and reduce both acute and chronic inflammation, which is at the root of many health conditions and accelerated aging

Confirmed—Fructose Can Increase Your Hunger and Lead to Overeating

January 14, 2013

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/14/fructose-spurs-overeating.aspx?e_cid=20130114_PRNLv1_art_1

Story at-a-glance

• Scientists using fMRI tests have shown that fructose triggers changes in your brain that may lead to overeating and weight gain. When you drink a beverage containing fructose, your brain does not register the feeling of being full, as it does when you consume simple glucose
• Fructose is also metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar, and the metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and can cause gout
• As a standard recommendation, I advise keeping your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. For most people it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less
• According to a recent study, altering your typical eating habits―such as getting up in the middle of the night for a snack―causes a certain protein to desynchronize your internal food clock, which can have a detrimental effect on your health and well-being

A versatile herb, black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has been known throughout the ages as a potent immune booster -- tackling colds and influenza, heart disease and even cancer

Want to avoid the flu epidemic? Here's how to stay healthy with elderberry

Sunday, January 13, 2013 by: Carolanne Wright
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038659_flu_epidemic_elderberry_prevention.html#ixzz2HuRHL3jk

Fighting colds and influenza naturally
Famous for its capacity to prevent and treat upper respiratory infections and fever, elderberry is a top notch medicinal herb. Israeli researcher Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu of Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center has made it a life mission to study the healing properties of elderberry. She found 20 percent of individuals suffering from the flu had significant relief within 24 hours when elderberry extract was consumed -- sore throat, coughing, fever and muscle aches were reduced. Seventy-three percent felt better after the second day. Within three days, 90 percent were completely cured. Compare this with the usual week or so it takes the average person to recover from the flu without intervention.

Additionally, a British in vitro study found that black elderberry extract was over 99 percent effective in combating avian bird flu (H5N1). And in Panama, elderberry juice was successfully used to treat the 1995 flu epidemic.

Elderberry also enhances the immune system. Scientists at the Bundesforschungsanstalt Research Center for Food in Karlsruhe, Germany found that high levels of anthocyanins in elderberry improve immune function by boosting cytokine production. These proteins act as messengers within the immune system, helping to regulate immune response. For those contending with HIV or a suppressed immune system, this is promising news.

Alleviating cardiovascular disease and cancer

Not only effective for infectious disease, elderberry supports cardiovascular health and mitigates cancer as well. The University of Graz in Austria discovered that elderberry extract diminished the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Since oxidation of LDL cholesterol contributes to arteriosclerosis, elderberry is powerful medicine against heart disease.

Tumor growth is constrained by elderberry too. It is an exceptional antiangiogenic (hinders the formation of unwanted blood vessels) and antioxidant. Research has shown that elderberry, when combined with other anthocyanin-rich berries, curbs cellular mutations and tumor growth. In clinical studies, the berry extract decreased tumor growth by more than 50 percent.

Video promoted by Citizens for Health

January 10, 2013

"'Doctored' is an involving, well-crafted, humane look at a topic that stands to affect us all." - LA Times

"A vital eye opening expose. A must-see." - NYC Movie Guru

"Your food, your medicine, your healthcare has all been...Doctored."

So reads the cover of the DVD that has critics, health freedom advocates, and anyone who cares about what - and who - influences the delivery of health care in the United States itching for action.

Watch the trailer here.
http://doctoredmoviestore.soundconcepts.com/index.php/dvds/doctored-dvd.html

“Your back pain will require SURGERY”
“Without these pills, you face life-long PAIN”
“Your child’s behavior requires MEDICATION”

That’s what the doctor tells you, but who tells the doctor what to say?

A visit to the doctor can be traumatic enough. In "Doctored" we learn about the “influencers” – the people you never see, but whose job it is to turn you into a compliant, pill popping, revenue generation unit. And at all costs.

"Doctored" reveals the unseen tactics of these “influencers” in an investigation that leads to the highest levels of the American Medical Association (AMA) and reveals an alarming portrait of deception and criminality.

We at Citizens for Health bring this important film to your attention because we believe you will find it as compelling as we do. We also believe spreading the word far and wide, and sharing it with everyone you know will go a long way toward turning the information within into political power.

The folks behind the film are offering it for the more-than-reasonable price of $24.95. More than reasonable, given the potential ramifications of its message. Help us spread the word - please click on the banner below to order a copy today.

Thanks for your interest,

The Citizens for Health Team

Video - The Top 10 Ways to be Miserable in 2013 - by Marci Shimoff

Want a great laugh? Take a quick break -- just a minute -- to watch this.   We were cracking up creating it, and I'm sure you'll get a good laugh. There's also an important message in here for you about how to have a magnificent year. Watch here or click the video above.

I know you've got friends or family who will relate -- please pass it on to them.

And let me know which of the top 10 was your favorite on my Facebook page here. 

Wishing you the most magnificent 2013!  

With Love for No Reason and Every Reason,    Marci Shimoff

P.S. I had a great call with Dr. Sara Gottfried on Wednesday about how to be Happy, Healthy and Hot in 2013. You won't want to miss the replay. Listen to it here.

Research: Too much sitting increases risks of disease and premature death--worse than smoking--quite noteworthy article with several videos from Dr. Mercola

Prevent Back Pain and Other Common Problems by Sitting Correctly

January 11, 2013

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/01/11/proper-sitting.aspx?e_cid=20130111_PRNL_art_1

Health@Google: Deskbound by Kelly Starrett

 

A Pediatrician Speaks Out on Fluoridation (video) - Jan. 8, 2013

Video - Beyonce new contract with Pepsi - $50 million -- And Video of Dr. Mercola's "Nutrition Plan"

When Great Superstars Endorse Bad Lifestyle Choices

January 09, 2013

Beyonce recently signed a $50 million deal with Pepsi as its global brand ambassador. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and many of her fans are now urging the singer to reconsider her collaboration with Pepsi, citing the many well-known health dangers of drinking soda

Another far more bizarre example of unhealthy celebrity endorsements is that of the Olsen twins, who recently released a very limited edition collection of handbags, retailing for an absurd $55,000 per bag. Besides the outrageous price tag, the most shocking thing about these bags is that they're decorated with prescription pills, which has raised more than a few eyebrows. 
As reported by Toofab.com³:

"Making the artistic decision even more odd is the knowledge that Mary-Kate Olsen's friend, Heath Ledger, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs including pain killers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication."

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/09/beyonce-endorses-pepsi.aspx?e_cid=20130109_PRNLv2_art_1

Beware: It Starts Early — Your Child's Taste Preferences are Created by Age 3!

Did you know that when you feed preschool-aged children junk foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, it has a lasting impact on their taste preferences? Think about it — how many kids and teens do you know that don't like soda and sweet foods? Part of the reason for this limited taste preference is the fact that their taste buds are literally trained within the very first years of life (in some cases from birth, as infant formula can contain loads of sugar!).

In a recent study⁸, all of the children tested showed preferences for junk foods, and all (even those who were just 3 years old!) were able to recognize some soda, fast food, and junk food brands. The researchers concluded what you probably already suspect: kids who were exposed to junk food, soda and fast food, via advertising (and also because their parents fed them these foods), learned to recognize and prefer these foods over healthier choices.

This does have an impact on their health, as nutrients from quality foods are critical in helping your child reach his or her fullest potential.

Another study⁹ from British researchers revealed that kids who ate a predominantly processed food diet at age 3 had lower IQ scores at age 8.5. For each measured increase in processed foods, participants had a 1.67-point decrease in IQ. As you might suspect, the opposite also held true, with those eating healthier diets experiencing higher IQ levels. For each measured increase in dietary score, which meant the child was eating more fruits and vegetables for instance, there was a 1.2-point increase in IQ.

The reality is, the best time to shape your kids' dietary habits is while they're still young. This means starting from birth with breast milk and then transitioning to solid foods that have valuable nutrients, like egg yolk, avocado and sweet potatoes. (You can easily cross any form of grain-based infant cereal off of this list.)

From there, ideally you will feed your child healthy foods that your family is also eating -- grass-fed meats, organic veggies, vegetable juice, raw dairy and nuts, and so on. These are the foods your child will thrive on, and it's important they learn what real, healthy food is right from the get-go. This way, when they become tweens and teenagers, they may eat junk food here and there at a friend's house, but they will return to real food as the foundation of their diet -- and that habit will continue on with them for a lifetime.