About Site Admin

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Site Admin has created 3387 entries.

40 Years of Federal Nutrition Research Fatally Flawed

Four decades of nutrition research funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be invalid because the method used to collect the data was seriously flawed, according to a new study by the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. The study, led by Arnold School exercise scientist and epidemiologist Edward Archer, has demonstrated significant limitations in the measurement protocols used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The findings, published in PLOS ONE (The Public Library of Science), reveal that a majority of the nutrition data collected by the NHANES are not "physiologically credible," Archer said. "The nation's major surveillance tool for studying the relationships between nutrition and health is not valid. It is time to stop spending tens of millions of health research dollars collecting invalid data and find more accurate measures," he said.

Home Schooled Children Healthier Than Traditionally Schooled Kids

The results of a recent study show kids that are home-schooled are leaner than kids attending traditional schools. The results challenge the theory that children spending more time at home may be at risk for excessive weight gain. The study was published in the journal Obesity and conducted by researchers from University of Colorado's Anschutz Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) and University of Alabama at Birmingham. It looked at both home-schooled and traditionally-schooled children between the ages of seven and 12 in Birmingham. Participants and their parents reported diet, the kids' physical activity was monitored and they were measured for body fat, among other things. "Based on previous research, we went into this study thinking home-schooled children would be heavier and less active than kids attending traditional schools," said Michelle Cardel, PhD, RD, the study's lead author. "We found the opposite."

Japan Halts HPV Vaccine and Begins Full-Scale Probe over Safety Issues

Japanese health officials have recorded nearly 2,000 adverse reactions—hundreds of them serious—in girls who got a dangerous U.S. government-backed cervical cancer vaccine that’s also been linked to thousands of debilitating side effects in this country. The alarming reports have led Japan’s government to take action, suspending recommendation for the controversial vaccine which is billed as a miracle shot that can prevent certain strains of cervical cancer caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The U.S. government has taken the opposite approach amid equally alarming cases of serious side effects. Not only does the Obama administration continue recommending the vaccine (Gardasil), it spends large sums of taxpayer dollars promoting it and works hard to keep details involving its dangers secret.

Scientism Aims to Destroy the Humanities

Scientism is not science. Science is a method of understanding the "how" of the natural world. Scientism is a silly philosophical delusion. Scientism posits that only the empirical methods of science can determine truth. Scientism is self-refuting. Obviously, the methods of science do not establish the truth of scientism, which is, after all, a philosophical assertion, not a scientific theory. The very assertion of scientism refutes scientism. The humanities -- philosophy, theology, history, even music and art and literature -- are the methods of discovering the "why" of reality. While I believe that scientism will die a natural death, as any complex organism without a brain inevitably does, the humanities should take a much more active role in putting it down.

Pumpkin Recipes Featuring Coconut and Coconut Oil

Pumpkin season is here and there is no shortage of delicious recipes! All of these recipes use coconut in some fashion, whether it be coconut oil, shredded coconut, coconut cream concentrate, coconut milk, or coconut flour. Many of these recipes are free of allergens like gluten and dairy.

The Ultimate Herbal Traveling Companion: Tulsi, First Aid in a Teacup

As the pre-eminent adaptogen, tulsi has a unique combination of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and other actions that combine to help the body and mind adapt and cope with a wide range of physical, emotional, chemical and infectious stresses. Tulsi's unique pharmacological activity particularly helps address many issues faced by modern air travelers such as infection, fatigue, thrombosis, anxiety and dealing with restraint, noise, hypoxia, (from oxygen reduction), radiation, industrial chemicals and poor sleep.

Why Low-Fat Diets Make You Fat

Governments here and abroad have been cautioning the public for decades on the dangers of high fat diets. Their claims based on "their science" concluded that it's best to avoid fat because of its extra calories - and saturated fats raise the risk of heart disease. You'll still see this on most food pyramids regulated by government policy on diet and nutrition. However, just as mandated healthcare policies fail at the federal level, so do those related to nutrition. This low-fat mantra has been questioned for years by clinicians and nutritional scientists - not least because it has failed to halt the obesity epidemic. The fact is, contrary to official advice by our diet dictocrats, high-fat diets lower blood sugar, improve blood lipids, and reduce obesity.

Sweden Becomes First Western Nation to Reject Low-fat Diet Dogma in Favor of Low-carb High-fat Nutrition

Sweden has become the first Western nation to develop national dietary guidelines that reject the popular low-fat diet dogma in favor of low-carb high-fat nutrition advice. The switch in dietary advice followed the publication of a two-year study by the independent Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment. The committee reviewed 16,000 studies published through May 31, 2013. The expert committee consisted of ten physicians, and several of them were skeptics to low-carbohydrate diets at the beginning of the investigation. They now conclude that butter, olive oil, heavy cream, and bacon are not harmful foods. Quite the opposite. Fat is the best thing for those who want to lose weight, and there are no connections between a high fat intake and cardiovascular disease.

Pap Smears: A Technician Speaks Out About Problems and Profits

There are so many problems with the FDA it could easily fill an entire book. It should be clear to anyone who has followed the numerous scandals the FDA has created over the past several years that the agency’s main concern is not to protect you — they’re working to protect the pharmaceutical industry. Mark Krause, a cytotechnologist, discusses what he believes to be fraud resulting from “falsely advertised and/or dysfunctional products approved by a scandal-ridden Food and Drug Administration,” in relation to new diagnostic tests for PAP smears.

The Military’s Prescription Drug Addiction

The military has spent at least $2.7 billion on antidepressants, and $1.6 billion in narcotic painkillers like Oxycontin over the last decade. According to the Military Times, DoD orders for anxiety medications and sedatives like Valium and Ambien increased 170 percent from 2001 to 2009. By 2009, 1 in 6 active duty service members were on some form of psychiatric drug, including 17 percent on antidepressants. In 2010, a significant Army report on suicide found that in 2009, 20 percent of the active duty force (106,000) had been prescribed at least one medication for pain, anxiety or depression, while prescription drugs were involved in one-third of the 160 active duty suicides that year. Of the 188 accidental/undetermined deaths from 2006 to 2009 caused by drugs and alcohol, 74 percent involved prescription medications.

Big Pharma and FDA: A Marriage Not Made in Heaven

In this new book, Hunter Lewis shows how private interests and politicians rely upon one another—political favors in exchange for money. Where do private interests such as those on Wall Street or in the drug industry stop and Washington begins? It’s impossible to say anymore. Take a behind-the-scenes look at just how deeply the US Food and Drug Administration has enmeshed itself with the pharmaceutical industry.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Organized Crime Ring That Is the Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel

Nearly 20 percent of corporate crime is being committed by companies that make medical products. Crimes committed by some of the top pharmaceutical companies include fabricated studies and hiding damaging research. A number of recent articles and books have delved into the practices of the drug industry, concluding it operates like an organized crime ring. Corruption of science is one of the most dangerous forms of corruption. Doctors rely on published studies to make treatment recommendations, and large numbers of patients can be harmed when false findings are published. A recent study concluded that a majority of American drug commercials—60 percent of prescription drug ads, and 80 percent of ads for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs—are either misleading or outright false Warnings of adverse side effects in drug ads can backfire. While initially making viewers cautious, over the course of time people tend to ignore the warnings; some even see them as indications of honesty and trustworthiness.

The Rich Benefits of Eating Chocolate

Science now shows that chocolate may be good for you. Five chemical compounds contained in raw, unadulterated chocolate are highlighted to show exactly what they are and how they work. First, antioxidant polyphenols that neutralize free radicals provide some of the most compelling aspects of eating chocolate because they can reduce processes associated with the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer. Second, chocolate contains anandamide, named after the Sanscrit word for “bliss,” which is a neurotransmitter in the brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and anxiety. The caffeine and theobromine in chocolate have been shown to produce higher levels of physical energy and mental alertness while, counter-intuitively, lowering blood pressure in women. Chocolate’s heart-friendly properties may be due to the presence of epicatechins, antioxidants which are found in higher concentrations in darker and raw forms. Studies showed that one-and-a-half ounces of dark chocolate a day for 2 weeks reduced stress hormone levels.

Why New Antidepressant Brintellix May Be a Killer

Brintellix is being marketed with implications that it’s the best antidepressent yet and that it’s exceptionally safe. What is this based on? Close examination shows the usual smoke and mirrors, and an even closer look points out disturbing indications of potentially devastating and deadly effects—with no indication that it’s better than existing SSRIs, which are known killers.

Study: Lifestyle Trumps Cholesterol-lowering Statin Drugs for Primary Heart Attack Prevention

A review of the published statin research revealed a categorical lack of evidence to support the use of statin therapy in primary prevention of heart attacks. Statins may actually increase cardiovascular risk in women, the young and people with diabetes. The cholesterol-lowering drugs are also linked to an increased risk of cataracts, memory impairment, diabetes, erectile dysfunction and over 300 adverse health effects. Lifestyle changes were far more effective, and safer, for primary heart attack prevention than statin drugs.

Statin Drugs Being Tested on Critically Ill Patients

In a recent article published in JAMA, critical ill patients underwent statin drug testing because it was thought that statin therapy may decrease the mortality of ICU ventilator-assisted patient. In the end, more people died in the statin group than in the placebo group. Who in their right mind would think that critically ill patients would get better by poisoning a crucial enzyme? Keep in mind that we cannot live without adequate amounts of cholesterol.

U.S. Farmer with Contaminated Fields Wants to Protect Growers from GMO Seeds

An Eastern Washington farmer says he has no idea how genetically engineered alfalfa started growing in his fields. "I want to protect other farmers," Peila, who farms near the town of Royal City, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday in explaining why he is coming forward to tell his story.

Online Delivery Service of Grass-fed Meats and non-GMO Tested Food Offers Free Shipping Promotion

The Healthy Buyer's Club, an online service of Tropical Traditions, is offering free ground shipping on most of their products to all of its members through Monday October 14th. This first-ever promotion was announced Friday. The Healthy Buyer's Club was developed by Tropical Traditions in 2006 to fill a need in the market for those wanting to purchase healthy products produced by traditional methods that are seldom found on the shelves of grocery stores, or most even health food stores, but lived too far from rural areas where such food is produced and where they could purchase directly from the farms. CEO Brian Shilhavy recently announced that the Healthy Buyer's Club of Tropical Traditions was developing their own labeling certificates that will clearly define the standards of theit products offered. Current certificates and seals printed on labels can be very misleading to the consumer, as the USDA Organic Program continues to be dominated by large corporations seeking to water down the organic standards to allow more commodity food to capitalize on the growing organic food market. Likewise, in the absence of any standards for GMO labeling, private organizations have come up with non-GMO verified and certification seals that lead one to believe that the products are completely free of GMO contamination. Read More.

Mexico Bans GMO Corn

A federal judge has ordered Mexico’s SAGARPA (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca, y Alimentación), which is Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, and SEMARNAT (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales), which is equivalent of the EPA, to immediately “suspend all activities involving the planting of transgenic corn in the country and end the granting of permission for experimental and pilot commercial plantings.” The unprecedented ban was granted by the Twelfth Federal District Court for Civil Matters of Mexico City. Judge Jaime Eduardo Verdugo J. wrote the opinion and cited “the risk of imminent harm to the environment” as the basis for the decision. The judge’s ruling also ruled that multinationals like Monsanto and Pioneer are banned from the release of transgenic maize in the Mexican countryside” as long as collective action lawsuits initiated by citizens, farmers, scientists, and civil society organizations are working their way through the judicial system.

Are Exotic New Flu Vaccines for 2013 Safe?

The US Institute of Medicine disregards the thousands of adverse event reports for flu shots. Big Pharma has some exotic new flu products for fall 2013, including quadrivalent (four-in-one) vaccines produced using dog kidney cells (Flucelvax) and army worm cells (Flublok). Researchers are also closer to developing what they believe will be a “universal” flu shot that will protect against every new strain of the disease, though its implementation will be at least five years off. We need to tell the Institute of Medicine to consider the thousands of adverse event reports that doctors have filed about flu vaccines. How can we make flu shots safer if we ignore the problems they’ve already caused?