Vitamin D, Drug Trials and Monsanto's Terminator - NewsGrabs 10 June 2007
Health Supreme's News Grabs are a weekly selection of links to articles, alternative health news and related bits of information. Follow health trends with me - watch out for NewsGrabs ... every weekend.
In this issue:
Vitamin D prevents Cancer - China corners vitamin market - Audio: Byron Richards interview - FDA Improvement Act - EU-U.S. Summit - Threats To Natural Health? - Michael Moore Applauds French Medical Model - Funding Greatly Influences Drug Trial Outcomes - Unscrupulous Doctors Earn Big Bucks from Drug Trials - FDA Requests Avandia Warnings - China halts production of IBS Drug - Nigeria sues Pfizer - New Meningitis Vaccine for Africa - When Doctors Strike, Fewer People Die - Managing Statin Damage - Video: The Fluoride Deception - Hijacking Africa's Food Supply - Monsanto to acquire Terminator company - Growth Hormone in Beef Impacts Male Sexual Development - Percy Schmeiser says Go Organic - Wi-Fi Negative Health Effects - Making mobile phones safe? - Solar-powered water heater from beer bottles - Australian scientist says warming overplayed- - -
Sweeping cancer edict: take vitamin D daily
The cause of the cancer epidemic sweeping the world has long eluded researchers, but the U.S. study being released today found that the 60-per-cent risk reduction is the strongest evidence to date that many cases of the disease are linked to a vitamin deficiency. Over the past few decades, vitamin D levels in the public have likely fallen because of lifestyle changes, such as the use of sunscreen in summer and people spending more time indoors. "It's an important component of cancer prevention," said Joan Lappe, lead author of the study and professor of medicine and nursing at Creighton University in Omaha, who added that there is "overwhelming evidence supporting the need for higher vitamin D intakes in populations throughout the world."
China corners vitamin market
In less than a decade, China has captured 90 percent of the U.S. market for vitamin C, driving almost everyone else out of business. Chinese pharmaceutical companies also have taken over much of the world market in the production of antibiotics, analgesics, enzymes and primary amino acids.
Audio: "Health Law & Politics" - Jonathan Emord interviews Byron Richards
Jonathan Emord, leading health freedom attorney, who has defeated the FDA in court more than any other attorney interviews Byron J. Richards, Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist, author, and health freedom, discuss the threat to dietary supplements posed by S.1082 and the upcoming house legislation HR.1561.
Drug Administration Improvement Act would end close drug industry ties to FDA
“Currently, the FDA has a very cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry that is impeding the agency's ability to be free and independent of outside influences when deciding the safety of individual drugs” claims Hinchey. “The FDA Improvement Act helps to create an arms-length relationship between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that the health and safety of the American people is the first and foremost concern of the FDA."
EU-U.S. Summit Signals New Threats To Natural Health Therapies
Because the European Food Supplements Directive was used as the blueprint for what is now effectively the global standard for dietary supplement regulations – the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements – European regulations are, by definition, already compliant with that standard. As such, it is clear that in order to achieve the goal of transatlantic harmonization, American dietary supplement legislation will have to be harmonized to the restrictive European model, as opposed to the other way around.Given this reality, one should perhaps not be surprised to discover that regulatory cooperation between the FDA and DG SANCO (the European Commission’s Health and Consumer Protection Directorate) is already well advanced.
The ultimate aim behind the recent increase in domestically-based attacks on supplements in the U.S. can be seen as being to prepare the ground for the eventual dismantling of DSHEA and the harmonization of the U.S. dietary supplement market to the more restrictive legislative regimes that exist in Europe and - via the planned North American Union – Canada and Mexico.
As such, although neither the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements – the global standard – or the Food Supplements Directive – the European standard – have as yet set any maximum permitted doses for nutrients contained in supplements, it would seem reasonable to conclude that whatever levels are announced later this year by the European Commission could - as a result of both European political power at Codex meetings and the trans-Atlantic regulatory cooperation outlined above - eventually be exported to, and implemented in, the United States.
Michael Moore Applauds French Medical Hegemony
Moore's film is clearly praise for the drug industry, masquerading as criticism. It is the total annihilation of true alternative medicine that he is supporting with his campaign to promote universal healthcare. The real face of universal healthcare in France is far less about helping poor people gain access to 'life-saving medical treatment', and far more about forcing mandatory toxic treatments upon all people and preventing them from using natural means and true disease prevention to look after their own health.
France does have a grave problem with prohibition of the natural healing practices and persecution of healers and practitioners. Moore's citing the French system as something the US should emulate evidently does not go down well with the French alt.med community.
Drug Company Funding Of Drug Trials Greatly Influences Outcome
UCSF researchers examined 192 published results of trials comparing one cholesterol-lowering statin drug to another, or to a non-statin drug. Their findings found that two links stood out. If the reported results favored the test drug, the trial was about 20 times more likely to be funded by the maker of the statin rather than the comparison drug company. Even more striking, they say, if the conclusions or interpretation of the drug trial -- which reflect the impressions of the trial investigators -- favored the test drug, the trial was about 35 times more likely to be funded by the maker of that drug rather than the comparison drug.
So much for the scientific "gold standard" of double blind clinical trials to find out what works and what doesn't. No wonder the natural substances, if they ever get included in a clinical trial, rarely come out as effective.
Drug Trials Conducted by Unscrupulous Doctors Who Earn Big Bucks
The Minnesota documents show that PhRMA’s guidelines for clinical trials are largely violated in industry sponsored trials—trials that fall within the oversight authority of the FDA. Indeed, the tainted data from these adulterated trials conducted by unscrupulous psychiatrists who had been disciplined by the state board of medical practice were the basis for FDA approval of dangerously toxic drugs whose life-threatening hazards for consumers, and the absence of documented evidence of a medical /psychotherapeutic benefit, have been subsumed by deceptive marketing. The hazardous drugs approved under these dubious circumstances include many of the most profitable drugs in psychiatry: Paxil, Prozac, Risperdal, Seroquel, Zoloft and Zyprexa.
After 8 years FDA Requests heart attack warnings on diabetes drugs, Actos & Avandia
A showdown is brewing. Following a hearing before the House Oversight & Government Reform committee, at which FDA Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach, MD and two other high officials were questioned about the agency's failure to warn about the increased risk of heart attacks for diabetic patients taking Avandia, the FDA announced that the Avandia and Actos labels would be amended with new strictest warnings added specifically acknowledging the increased risk of heart attacks.
China halts production of Zelnorm
"The risks of Zelnorm outweigh the possible benefits for some patients based on analyses from home and abroad," China's State Food and Drug Administration said in a statement posted to agency's website. The agency said China's National Center for Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring has received 98 reports of adverse reactions concerning Zelnorm since it was introduced to the Chinese market in 2003.
Nigeria sues drugs giant Pfizer
Nigeria has filed charges against the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, accusing it of carrying out improper trials for an anti-meningitis drug. The government is seeking $7bn in damages for the families of children who allegedly died or suffered side-effects after being given Trovan. Kano state government has filed separate charges against Pfizer. The firm denies any wrongdoing, saying the trials were conducted according to Nigerian and international law. Pfizer - the world's largest pharmaceutical company - tested the experimental antibiotic Trovan in Kano during an outbreak of meningitis which had affected thousands in 1996. Some 200 children died and others developed mental and physical deformities.
This of course brings to mind the book by John LeCarre "The Constant Gardener", which was later made into a film. In hindsight, LeCarre's story does seem to have been 'right on the mark', judging by these recent revelations.
New Meningitis Vaccine May End Epidemics
A new meningitis vaccine offers hope to end devastating epidemics that have plagued West Africa the last century, according to recent studies. The new vaccine protects against meningitis A, the deadliest form of the disease and seen primarily in Africa.
Could these devastating meningitis epidemics that hit West Africa have something to do with the drive to eradicate polio? Several researchers charge that there is a definite connection between meningitis and the polio vaccine ... and let's hope this one is better than the failed Norwegian meningitis vaccine Chiron Corp re-cycled in New Zealand.
When Doctors Strike, Fewer People Die
In 1973 doctors in Israel staged a month-long strike and during that month, mortality fell by 50 percent. A couple of years later, a two-month work stoppage by doctors in the Columbian capital of Bogotá led to a 35-percent decline in deaths. And during a “work slowdown” by doctors in Los Angeles protesting against the sharp increase in premiums for liability insurance, the number of deaths fell by 18 percent. Once doctors were back at work full time, mortality immediately jumped back to the previous level.
Management Of Statin Damage
Directing our attention to those already presenting with statin associated damage of whatever kind, I recommend stopping the statin and robust CoQ10 supplementation. CoQ10 has no maximum allowable dose, so progressive dosage elevations to 1500mg daily may be reasonable for a period of time to observe for response. The addition of Acetyl-L-carnitine and selenium must be considered for persistent muscle pain and weakness.
Video: The Fluoride Deception (Interview With Christopher Bryson)
"Bryson marshals an impressive amount of research to demonstrate fluoride?s harmfulness, the ties between leading fluoride researchers and the corporations who funded and benefited from their research, and what he says is the duplicity with which fluoridation was sold to the people. The result is a compelling challenge to the reigning dental orthodoxy, which should provoke renewed scientific scrutiny and public debate."
Is Bill Gates Trying to Hijack Africa's Food Supply?
Genetically altered crops will rescue Africa from endemic shortfalls in food production, claim corporate foundations that have announced a $150 million "gift" to spark a "Green Revolution" in agriculture on the continent. Of course, U.S.-based agribusiness holds the patents to these wonder crops, and can exercise their proprietary "rights" at will. Are corporate foundations really out to feed the hungry, or are they hypocritical Trojan Horses on a mission to hijack the world's food supply --- to create the most complete and ultimate state of dependency.
Monsanto to acquire Delta and Pine Land company
Monsanto has reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice that will allow it to complete its proposed acquisition of Delta and Pine Land Company, but it must divest its US cotton seed business. Monsanto plans to close its acquisition and resulting divestitures as soon as possible following the required approvals from the court and the DOJ.According to this interesting article by William Engdahl ... "In 1983, Delta & Pine Land (D&PL) joined with the US Department of Agriculture in a project to develop Terminator seeds. It was one of the earliest experiments with GMO. It was a long-term project. The US Government has been serious about Terminator beginning more than two decades ago. In March 1998 the US Patent Office granted Patent No. 5,723,765 to Delta & Pine Land for a patent titled, Control of Plant Gene _Expression. The patent is owned jointly, according to Delta & Pine’s Security & Exchange Commission 10K filing, ‘by D&PL and the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture.’ "
So Monsanto will be ending up with co-ownership of the "terminator" patent, a technology vital to its business plan of taking over the world's food supply and eliminating competition from traditional agriculture. Of course there is no guarantee that the terminator gene won't jump to other crops, potentially ruining much of what we are used to eating.
Hormone Growth Promoters Fed to Beef Cattle Linked to Adverse Impacts on Male Sexual Development
“…the possible effects on human populations exposed to residues of anabolic sex hormones through meat consumption have never, to our knowledge, been studied. Theoretically, the fetus and the prepubertal child are particularly sensitive to exposure to sex steroids…” This gap in research is remarkable, given that every beef-eating American for over 50 years has been exposed to these hormones on a regular basis.
Could this have something to do with rampant obesity ... and with the huge backsides that visibly distinguish most Americans from people in other parts of the world?
Percy Schmeiser says Organic Agriculture could be Solution to Global Warming
Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser makes the case: shifting existing subsidies to sustainable farming practices could offset greenhouse emissions 10% to 20%. Research shows organic farming increases the carbon uptake in soil by up to 30% and improves the nutrient value of food, thus reducing healthcare costs.
Public invited to vote on policy proposal via online poll
Does Long-Term Exposure To Wi-Fi Technology Have Negative Health Effects?
Wireless laptop computers and cell phones are found everywhere. Schools across the U.S. and Britain are now taking dramatic steps to implement this technology, as well as thousands of businesses. Is there a risk? Should we be concerned?World's safest mobile phone on way
The Wi-Guard technology works by randomising the field so it becomes more similar to naturally occurring electromagnetic fields that the body can deal with. Lawler said the amount of radiation emitted by man-made electromagnetic fields was one billion times higher than in 1950, due predominantly to the massive rise in the number of mobile phones and wireless laptops being used over the past decade.
This is an interesting technology, as randomizing the extra low frequency pattern could indeed make the radiation from cell phones and wireless devices less harmful for biological organisms. Of course it would be more efficient to implement this concept not as a remediation effort but as a basic feature of wireless standards...
Chinese farmer makes solar-powered water heater from beer bottles
Ma’s invention features 66 beer bottles attached to a board. The bottles are connected to each other so that water flows through them. Sunlight heats the water as is passes slowly through the bottles before flowing into the bathroom as hot water, reports China Economy Network. Ma says it provides enough hot water for all three members of his family to have a shower every day.
A dissident view of water and warming
'I'm not a sceptic, I'm an angry professor!' Lance Endersbee claims the world water crisis has been underplayed and global warming overplayed, as a result of the pressures in science to conform. Endersbee's main focus is on the state of the world's groundwater, the rapid consumption of which has put the world on the edge of a little understood catastrophe, he says, because contrary to popular belief groundwater reserves are not replenished from the surface.This page discusses Lance Endersbee's view on the decline of ground water as a resource in Australia, which he says has been played down while global warming is getting all the attention.
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Saturday June 9 2007
updated on Saturday December 25 2010URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2007/06/09/vitamin_d_drug_trials_and_monsantos_terminator_newsgrabs_10_june_2007.htm
