EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

New analysis finds mammograms only occasionally save lives

Homeland security and FEMA are pushing for forced vaccinations and the medical experts, virologists and epidemiologists are calling for calm and resorting to voluntary vaccination only. The former have links with the vaccine manufacturers via political contacts.

A great deal of money will be made by the manufacturers, should forced vaccinations be mandated.

Read more at mercola.com

Today, aluminum is thought to play a major role in most of the neurodegenerative diseases and has been a suspect in Alzheimer’s for many years as well as in the development of dementia, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and other degenerative diseases.

Experimental studies show that aluminum can produce all the same changes in the brain we see with Alzheimer’s disease. Most of us are exposed to dietary and other sources of aluminum including cookware, medications, baking powder, vaccinations, several foods (teas), deodorants, aluminum foil, soda and beer cans, and public drinking water.

Normally, people absorb very little of ingested aluminum, but recent studies have discovered that those with Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease absorb a lot more aluminum than normal.

If there’s a probably major culprit for human absorbed aluminum, the focus and studies should be targeted at underarm deodorants. (Of course, that’ll probably go as far as the EV1 electric vehicle got before the oil industries squashed it.)

In fact, Down’s children absorb 11 times more aluminum than is normally absorbed. Children with Down’s syndrome have the same pathological changes in their brains as those with Alzheimer’s disease. Ironically, several commonly consumed products dramatically increase the absorption of aluminum and increase its toxicity in the brain.

Fluoride, when combined with even small amounts of aluminum, produces dramatic destruction of the same brain cells that are destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, as little as 0.5 ppm (parts per million) fluoride added to aluminum in water was found to produce extensive brain cell loss in the hippocampus, the memory part of the brain. Most water systems add 1 to 1.5 ppm fluoride and all add aluminum.

Since fluoride was originally a waste and by product of aluminum production, this is basically adding insult to injury.

The amino acid glutamate, as found in monosodium glutamate (MSG), also increases aluminum absorption and deposition in the brain. MSG is added to most processed foods, usually under a disguised name such as hydrolyzed protein, soy extract, natural flavoring or even spices. As with fluoride, glutamate is even more destructive to brain cells when combined with aluminum.

Another surprising culprit is citric acid. Lemon juice is high in citric acid, as are most citrus fruits. Adding lemon to tea, for example, increases aluminum absorption from the tea (which contains very high aluminum levels) over sevenfold. This is why you should not add lemon to your tea.

Chemicals that remove toxic metals such as aluminum from the tissues and organs of the body, do so by a process called chelation, hence they are called chelators.

A study done in 1993 at the University of Toronto found that patients given aluminum-chelating drugs deteriorated at half the rate of those given no treatment. Recent studies have found that using aluminum chelation could reverse the pathological changes characteristic of Alzheimer’s dementia.

You can reduce your brain load of aluminum yourself by using the following supplements, also shown to significantly lower brain aluminum.

Magnesum citramate. Magnesium reduces brain levels of mercury and the citramate, a combination of citrate and malate, has been shown to significantly stimulate elimination of aluminum from the body.

Ascorbate (as magnesium or calcium ascorbate). A study found ascorbate to be a very effective chelator of aluminum, especially when the aluminum was bound to brain cell DNA. Taking higher doses of ascorbate with the magnesium citramate increased the removal of aluminum even more.

Malate. Malate was shown to be one of the more effective aluminum chelators for the brain.

Pyruvate (as calcium pyruvate). Pyruvate has been shown to effectively prevent aluminum absorption.

Flavonoids. Eat a lot of fresh vegetables. Supplements containing flavonoids, such as quercetin and hesperidin, also prevent aluminum absorption. Chlorella helps remove mercury and lead and may remove aluminum. These supplements are in addition to the antioxidant vitamins you normally take.

Experts argue back and forth on whether these waves are harmful or not. Studies on cell phone use over time have not far proved a connection between electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and cancer or brain tumors for instance, but it is suggested that it often takes much longer, as much as twenty years for results to show up in clinical studies.

EMF and EMR have been pointed to in connection with Alzheimers, autism, the disappearance of bees, brain tumors, and disrupting bird migrations, among many other things. We have yet to understand our own human electromagnetic condition and energy fields, so an awareness of potential disruptions to our health from a variety of EMF and EMR sources is something to be aware of, and not just have our collective heads in the sand.

The number of mobile phone users worldwide soared to over 3.3 billion by the end of 2007, a total penetration rate of 49 percent. That’s half the world’s population !

Africa showed the greatest increase, and more than two-thirds of all cell phone subscribers now come from developing countries. Cell phones account for nearly 90 percent of all telephone use in Africa. India and China added 154 million and 143 million new subscribers respectively.

The global annual average growth rate for cell phone subscribers currently stands at 22 percent. However, subscriptions to mobile phone plans increased at a rate of 39 percent annually in Africa between 2005 and 2007, and the rate of increase in Asia over the same period was 28 percent.

For a real eye opener, go to http://antennasearch.com for locations of antennas and towers in your neighborhood. This poster found 119 antennas and 53 towers within a four mile radius of my home in Jacksonville, Florida, a community that is surburban bordering on rural.

I don’t need a study to tell you where it’s coming from.

It’s coming from Third World countries, and it’s catching a ride to the States with the countless thousands of illegal immigrants that flood across our borders every day.

There have been more than 100 reported cases of Morgellons in San Antonio alone. And unlike our politically correct government, I’m not afraid to tell you that this many cases so close to the Mexican border not only lends credence to the idea that this disease is real, but shows an undeniable correlation between the proximity of the outbreak and that area’s large population of illegal immigrants from south of the border.

The CDC, however, has not yet made the connection between illegal immigrants and Morgellons. They’ve contracted Kaiser-Permanente to conduct a study to get a more precise definition of the disease and to see exactly how common it is. But mark my words: The study is set up to fail.

The tactics of the study are flawed. From 150 to 500 people will be studied – all of them volunteers drawn from Kaiser-Permanente’s 3.4 million customers in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Fresno regions.

So in spite of the fact that there have been 100 reported cases of this ailment in Texas, Kaiser will be looking for this disease hundreds of miles north of the Mexico-California border. And they’ll be looking at people who are already insured and in their records.

But by seeking only insured volunteers for the study, Kaiser-Permanente has effectively barred all illegal aliens from the sample group since they’re not likely to step forward to be recognized for fear of being deported. Subjects will be given blood tests, skin exams… oh, and, psychological evaluations too.

Why on earth would a psych exam be necessary? Because a lot of so-called experts out there think that the whole thing is made-up. It boggles my mind that doctors can pooh- pooh the existence of this disease as psychological … yet there are visible skin lesions that sprout fibers! No doctor seems to be able to explain those away, and last time I checked, no mental disorder had any physical manifestation.

Hilariously, CDC officials actually agree that the study is “limited and won’t give a complete picture of the problem.” SO WHY CONDUCT THE STUDY IN THIS MANNER? You really can’t make this stuff up. These are your tax dollars at work. Does this burn your behind as much as it burns mine?

With this kind of “research” being conducted, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever get to the bottom of Morgellons. To be sure, this disease is a mystery – but the fact that it IS a disease seems difficult to doubt. I’m not sure why there’s such a resistance in the medical community to recognizing this disorder. Though I wouldn’t put it past the arrogance of the medical community to deny Morgellons existence because they like to seem all– powerful: when you project yourself as having the answer to everything, it can be very awkward to have to publicly proclaim, “I don’t know.”

Whatever the reason – the rampant political correctness of the government or the hubris of the medical community – Morgellons will likely continue to spread. Clearly, no one in power feels the need to take it seriously.

Seeing through the CDC,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

This is nothing new, but it bears repeating. I’ve had a particularly crazy week, and so this topic occurred to me as I tried to juggle a nearly impossible schedule. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.

When I say “stress,” it’s important that I don’t just mean stress with a capital “s” (i.e., losing your job, divorce, major illness, etc.). The little, gnat-like stresses that gnaw at us nearly every day and at every turn of modern life—long lines, minor workplace politics, noisy neighbors, and bad traffic—can be just as brutally devastating to your health. Like lots of bad things, it’s not the ones and twos … it’s that the ones and the twos that add up to fours, fives, sixes, and tens. Stress is cumulative.

Believe it or not, stress and health were linked for the first time back in the 1930s by the scientist Hans Seyle. Seyle was actually the man who first applied the term “stress” to the struggle of all forms of life to adapt to and deal with changes within their environment. Prior to Seyle, stress was little more than an engineering term. But oh, how evocative a term! Anyone who’s experienced stress knows that there’s no better way of describing how it can push you physically, mentally, or emotionally to the breaking point. It’s likely not a coincidence that Seyle conducted his study of stress at what was one of the most trying periods in human history: the era of the Great Depression.

Seyle found that the hormone cortisol – which is linked closely to the adrenal glands that are activated by “fight or flight” responses – has a taxing affect on digestion, reproduction, the immune system and even physical growth. So much so that its long- term presence can have an incredibly negative effect on those functions, even shutting them down. Thus, sustained stress can cause a very real deterioration throughout your body, exposing you to everything from a case of the sniffles to a deadly cancer. Think you’re losing hair because you’re stressed out? Well, you may be right. But as doctors have known for years, stress is most deadly because of its impact on your heart. Depressed? That could be stress, too.

Getting the picture? It’s everywhere, and could be the root cause of so many bad things that it’s impossible to ignore. How often have I told you about supposed wive’s tales being proven to be true by recent studies? It’s not just in your mind that you feel “restored” or “recharged” after a vacation or a weekend getaway. You likely are feeling the restorative effects because your brain and your body are getting that needed break from stress.

So now you’re thinking, “well, no kidding Dr. D – now that you’ve told us that day-to- day life is wearing away at our health, what exactly do you suggest I do about it?”

4 tips for battling stress

In addition to all of the other guidance I give you, take some time to put the following tips into your daily regimen when you can. They won’t make stress go away, and they’re not exactly the equivalent of a two-week Mediterranean cruise, but they’ll help. Remember: it’s important to battle the cumulative effects of stress, and these tips should help.

GET ANGRY!

It’s OK to be annoyed; it’s human. And when you bottle things up, you’re just adding to the pile of cumulative stress. I’m not saying you need to flip out and scream at everyone around you, but when the going gets tough, it doesn’t mean that you should just nod quietly and accept your bad luck. Tell your spouse they’ve upset you. Advise that co- worker that you’re not fond of how they’re behaving or that they’re making your job more difficult. By asserting yourself and your opinion without losing control, you’re actually venting stress. (Hmm…maybe that’s why I’m one of the least stressed out people I know.)

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS

Get a hobby, or don’t be shy about throwing yourself into the one that you already have. Don’t let your schedule deny you the outlet that helps you free your mind. By concentrating your mind on the thing that brings you the most joy – whatever that may be, whether it’s stamp collecting, exercise, dancing, or pottery – you’re actually sloughing off stress, and giving your mind and body the time to recover. It’s like a mini- vacation, and will stop the stress build up.

PUT THE CLOCK TO WORK FOR YOU

Nothing’s more stressful than a deadline, and it only gets worse the closer it gets. If you can turn yourself in a better time manager, even the biggest project can be tackled with less stress. By managing your schedule, you avoid being overworked, which is often one of the most common causes of undue stress.

LAUGH OR CRY

Yup, another cliché. But like so many, it’s true. Both laughing and crying are enormously effective ways to vent stress. If you’ve ever just busted a gut or bawled your eyes out, you know that afterwards there’s often a great rush of good feeling (with a laugh) or a sense of relief (with a cry). You’re human, and emotions are what make you that way. They’re there for a reason: use them. Bottling them up leads to more stress. Not the usual advice I dispense, I know. But something that’s always important to remember.

Taking a “chill pill” as the kids say,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

But those who have shelled out big bucks for “environmentally friendly” hard plastic bottles are no better off. That’s because those bottles are made from polycarbonates that often include a chemical called bisphenol A or “BPA,” and research indicates it could have hormone-mimicking properties.

There was a time when these bottles were considered an environmentally responsible alternative to disposable water bottles. Ironically, it’s now the environmentalists who are pushing to do away with the bottles. In many places, the bottles are even being pulled off store shelves. At least someone out there is taking action. The FDA certainly isn’t.

Even after a panel of 38 researchers blasted BPA at a government-sponsored conference, the FDA refused to say “Uncle,” — instead, claiming that “there has been no evidence that BPA is harmful to humans.”

Um… no evidence? The panel reviewed OVER 700 PUBLISHED ARTICLES on BPA’s effect on human health, and they cited numerous animal studies showing that even low doses could lead to breast and prostate cancer, obesity and hyperactivity, and reproductive problems such as infertility and miscarriage. Apparently, Americans have higher levels of BPA in their systems than those levels found to harm lab animals… so what’s the FDA waiting for?

Fred vom Saal was one of the chief authors of the government-funded study on BPA. He accused U.S. health and environmental regulators of “pretending they’re still in the dark.” That’s a fairly damning statement from a man who’s just been paid by the government he’s accusing.

Maybe if Fred had waved a wad of cash in front of their faces, it would have made a difference. You know it’s no coincidence that the FDA throwing its weight behind BPA—because you know who’s behind BPA: the politically powerful and ultra-rich lobby of the plastics industry.

Just what kind of money are we talking about here? I’ll tell you…Nalge Nuc International (one of the most popular makers of the hard plastics) has annual sales of nearly $65 million. But it doesn’t just end at water bottles. Over six million pounds of BPA is produced nearly every year in the U.S. alone, and the material is found in hundreds of products including dental sealants, food can liners, CDs and DVDs, eyeglasses, and other every-day goods.

With so much cash at stake, the FDA likely believes that until they hear a burning bush telling them about the evils of BPA, “more conclusive tests” will likely be needed.

In the meantime, take it from me: If you’re determined to tote your water around with you, get yourself a steel or glass container. And toss all your polycarbonate products into the trash – right on top of your faith in the FDA.

Throwing cold water on the FDA’s BPA policy,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

Wrong.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed some statistics that will give your notions about the living standards here in the U.S. a good shaking. These statistics show that close to a quarter of all black children who live in inner cities throughout the country are infected with roundworms. It also discovered that the leading cause of seizures among Hispanics living here is tapeworms.

That’s right: Tropical parasitic diseases that are widespread in the most impoverished regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America are just about as common right in our own backyard. Dr. Peter Hotez, the editor-in-chief of the Public Library of Science Journal Neglected Tropical Diseases (yes, there is such a publication) claims that these potentially deadly parasitic infections are the most ignored maladies in the U.S. medical community.

“I feel strongly that this is such an important health issue, and yet because it only affects the poor it has been ignored,” Hotez wrote in a recent email.

Dr. Hotez goes on to point out that since 9/11, the U.S. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to prevent theoretical bio-terrorist threats from viruses like anthrax, smallpox, and even bird flu, and yet has showen little to no concern for the “clear and present” threat of parasitic diseases that are already here in our cities.

And while I agree with Dr. Hotez that there are some appalling living conditions right here in the U.S., I think he’s making a rather weak case by using increased incidences of roundworms and tapeworms as an example of how bad things are. Why? Because the majority of roundworm and tapeworm infections can be avoided with proper hygiene. It’s possible to be poor because of circumstances beyond your control, but being filthy is entirely your own fault.

The majority of roundworm infections are the result of dog-to-human or cat-to-human contact. The CDC has published figures that show up to 14 percent of the entire U.S. population has been infected with Toxocara roundworms, the kind found in household pets.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Hotez said that urban playgrounds are a rich source of Toxocara eggs because of the contaminated soil (inner city playgrounds are less apt to be cleaned than their suburban counterparts). One of the problems with parasites is that they thrive in unhygienic situations, which is why they’re so rampant in the Third World. So any doctor will tell you that it’s no great shock to hear that a dirty playground can make a kid sick.

Hotez draws parallels between the rampant number of Toxocariasis cases in the inner city and the rise in the number of asthma cases in the same areas. Definitely a bad thing. However, the pragmatist in me simply must point out that the best way to prevent Toxocara roundworm infection is proper hygiene. Although Dr. Hotez may be right that the poor are often overlooked, it may make slightly more sense to tell children to wash their hands more often rather than launch a government investigation into the problem.

The tapeworm is the more dangerous adversary, since it can cause an infection in the central nervous system. But you don’t get tapeworms from being poor or living in the inner city—you get them mostly from eating undercooked pork, or consuming food or water that’s been contaminated with human feces. And this is a fact that leads me to believe that many of the “U.S. Hispanics” that Dr. Hotez sites as tapeworm-induced seizure victims are, in fact, illegal immigrants.

The U.S. has fairly rigorous meat inspection laws, and relatively good sanitation – even in the inner city. And there’s next to nowhere in the U.S. where you’ll find water that’s been tainted by raw sewage. Not so in Mexico or Central America, where many of the “U.S. Hispanics” were born and raised. I’d be interested to know more about the “U.S. Hispanics” that Hotez references – it doesn’t say whether these people were born in the States. My bottom dollar says that they weren’t.

Dr. Hotez has a point: Living conditions in America’s inner cities are crying out for improvement. But claiming that “tropical diseases of the Third World” are rife in our cities just isn’t true. Especially when these diseases can be easily eradicated with warm water and a bar of soap.

With clean hands and a clear conscience,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

In November, the FDA pressured the Bayer Pharmaceutical Company to halt the sale of the anti-bleeding drug Traysol after a Canadian clinical study determined that it could be linked to a higher risk of death than other drugs. But don’t for a minute believe that the FDA is as pure as the proverbial driven snow in this situation. They’re not.

The FDA’s announcement that it “cannot identify a specific patient population where we believe the benefits of using Traysol outweighs the risk” came ONE MONTH after FDA advisors recommended that Traysol REMAIN on the market – in spite of its known links to an increased risk of death and other serious side effects.

Whoops.

This is a disturbing item that should, once again, shake your confidence in the FDA – assuming you have any left to shake. Once again, our “saviors” at the FDA gave a drug promoted by Big Pharma the benefit of the doubt – in spite of the fact that studies had suggested the drug was dangerous.

Why did this happen? Well, call me crazy, but I believe that it might have had a little something to do with money. Worldwide sales of Traysol were roughly $135 million for just the nine months between January and September of 2007. U.S. sales accounted for $91 million of that total – nearly 68%. Are you hearing the same alarm bells in your head that I am?

With so much money at stake, it’s hardly surprising that the FDA was slow-footed when the initial results from the Canadian study suggested the potential dangers of Traysol. The FDA’s advisory committee did not find the concerns “compelling enough to recommend a withdrawal from the market.” Before such a drastic (and, may I say, costly) measure, the committee was interested in “obtaining additional data.”

Worse still, the FDA had begun re-evaluations on Traysol’s safety in January 2006, after a different study suggested serious side effects like kidney problems, heart attack, and strokes. During this time, Traysol remained on the market.

Want more? How about this sickening little gem: Other recent studies also suggested the potential deadly effects of Traysol BEFORE the Canadian study – and one of those studies was WITHHELD from the FDA by Bayer! Why? It was written off as “regrettable human error.” Yeah, right. Want to buy a bridge in Brooklyn?

In spite of this error – THE DRUG REMAINED ON THE MARKET. Ask yourself this: Why are you hearing about this for the first time from ME? How is it that this story wasn’t plastered all over the newspaper, the evening news, and the Internet!? We’ve all heard of the scandalous wrongdoings of Enron – but at least they never put anyone’s life at risk!

Are you shocked? Are you outraged? Are you spitting mad? Well, you oughta be. How long will it be before the money-minded decision making of our FDA guardians allow a 21st century Thalidomide tragedy to occur here in the U.S.?

In case you’re not old enough to remember this nightmare, Thalidomide was a sedative that was widely prescribed in the late 1950s and early 1960s to pregnant women to help combat morning sickness. The drug was inadequately tested, and the results were catastrophic. Approximately 10,000 children (mostly in Europe) were born with severe and gruesome birth defects, such as flippers for hands and feet, and extra appendages. In 1962, the FDA stepped in to tighten testing restrictions on this and other drugs.

But if this Traysol story proves anything, it shows how far the FDA has fallen from its one-time status as White Knight to seedy, anything-for-a-buck business partner. It’s a sobering reminder that, in spite of the hundreds of government checks and balances put into effect to ostensibly keep us safe, we’re still very much on our own. And our well- being is often in the hands of the highest bidder.

Wondering what the “F” in “FDA” really stands for,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.