FTC descends on unapproved cancer cures - NewsGrabs 21 September 2008

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US Federal Trade Commission warns consumers about 'bogus' cancer cures
The Federal Trade Commission charged five companies with making false and misleading claims for cancer cures and said Thursday that it has reached settlements with six others. "As long as products have been sold there has been somebody out there selling snake oil to consumers," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection. She said the agency, along with the Food and Drug Administration and Canadian authorities, is launching a consumer education campaign warning about bogus claims for cures.

"There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind," said Parnes.

Now let's compare this to the treatments being "protected" from competition by natural cures: Is there credible scientific evidence that poisoning the patient with chemicals or burning the tumor with radiation can prevent or cure cancer?

I think you know the answer.

The medical monopoly has no product. That is nowhere as clearly evident as in the case of cancer. Yet health authorities think they must "protect consumers" from looking around for a natural alternative - ANY natural alternative to the unworkable treatments proposed by the medical/pharmaceutical mainstream.

The difference between these cures is that some are owned by pharma and therefore are studied and promoted, while others aren't profitable and therefore have "no evidence" supporting them.

If you like a rant, see Mike Adams' opinion piece about this operation: FTC Launches Operation False Cures to Suppress Natural Cancer Remedies

Here is the FTC's information: FTC Sweep Stops Peddlers of Bogus Cancer Cures

Note the FTC's sledgehammer approach. Their standard operating procedure, also visible from their own report here, is to assess huge fines that can't possibly be paid and then to offer a 'settlement' which leaves the target literally gasping, while having to promise to never offend again, as otherwise they will lose everything. If you can't hire a first class law firm for your defense, you might as well give up. Justice is served - or is it?

Vast majority of Cancer studies remain unpublished
A search of the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database showed that just 17.6 percent of the trials were eventually published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

The finding raises concern about publication bias in cancer treatment trials, according to the researchers, Scott Ramsey and John Scoggins of University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

The researchers suspect the rate of negative results is much higher in the studies that have gone unpublished. “It is likely that many unpublished studies contain important information that could influence future research and present practice policy,” they wrote.

Natural Health at European Social Forum
The European Social Forum, regional counterpart of the World Social Forum is hosting, for the first time, a Forum for Natural Health, highlighting the loss of freedom of choice in health and nutrition that is a consequence of recent European legislation in the areas of medicine, nutrition and natural remedies.

Food supplements and mobile phones - two petitions to the EU Parliament
The question: is this tolerance or intolerance of risk really the result of a careful weighing up of risks and benefits to public health? Or has it perhaps got more to do with the sheer gravity of corporate influence on policy makers and regulators?

We urge you, as a Member of the European Parliament, to consider carefully two issues about which we have just submitted petitions to the European Parliament Petitions Committee. These affect risk assessment and management methodologies for vitamin and mineral food supplements and sources of EMF respectively.

Vitamin D: Poor health 'due to wet climate'
Dr Oliver Gillie linked the "extreme" weather to vitamin D deficiency, which is caused by low exposure to sunlight.

He has called for "urgent" government action to encourage people to take a daily dose of vitamin D to help tackle diseases such as cancer and MS.

Majority of osteoporosis patients not receiving calcium and vitamin D with treatment
"Patients with a low intake of calcium and vitamin D may not be receiving the full benefit of their osteoporosis treatment if they do not take enough supplementation", said Professor Steven Boonen MD, PhD, of Leuven University in Belgium and lead author of the abstract reporting the research results. "It is important that patients not only take both their calcium and vitamin D supplements, but also to ensure that they take them regularly".

Broccoli 'may help protect lungs'
US scientists found that sulforapane increases the activity of the NRF2 gene in human lung cells which protects cells from damage caused by toxins.

The same broccoli compound was recently found to be protective against damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes.

Brassica vegetables such as broccoli have also been linked to a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost
Sticking strictly to a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers substantial protection against cancer, heart disease and other major chronic illnesses, Italian researchers said on Friday. People who did this had a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease, a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer compared to those who were not as diligent, their study found.

Drink tea: prevent tooth decay, heart disease and some cancers
Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health. Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Autism: US researchers call off chelation study
Chelation (kee-LAY'-shun) removes heavy metals from the body and is used to treat lead poisoning. Its use as an autism treatment is based on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism - a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercury hasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for certain flu shots.

Chelation may be fringe, but it seems to work - unlike the mainstream's treatments. So in order to be able to continue to say that chelation is not scientifically proven, let's just cancel the study that would have given definitive results.

Research Links Plastics Containing Bisphenol A to Heart Disease and Diabetes
Dr. Melzer and his team found that average BPA concentrations, adjusted for age and sex, were higher in those diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In fact, even a slightly raised BPA concentration was associated with a 39 percent increased risk of having cardiovascular disease (angina, coronary heart disease, or heart attack combined) and diabetes.

Those with the highest BPA concentration had nearly three times the odds of heart disease and 2.4 times the risk of diabetes when compared with those with the lowest levels.

Yet the FDA - suspect some industry pressure here - says that BPA is just fine, nothing to worry about.

Govt. Report Says Fluoride Added to Water Supply May Harm Population
A government-sponsored report has concluded that levels of fluoride that people are regularly exposed to in drinking water can cause serious malfunctioning of the thyroid glad, leading to even more serious health problems.

Psychiatrist And Neuroscientist Says Antipsychotics Cause Brain Shrinkage
"I haven’t published this yet. But I have spoken about it in public lectures. The big finding is that people with schizophrenia are losing brain tissue at a more rapid rate than healthy people of comparable age. Some are losing as much as 1 percent per year. That’s an awful lot over an 18-year period. And then we’re trying to figure out why. Another thing we’ve discovered is that the more drugs you’ve been given, the more brain tissue you lose."

Government study confirms relative harm of newer antipsychotics in youth
"The safety findings related to weight gain and metabolic problems raise important public health concerns, given the widespread use of second-generation antipsychotics in youth for nonpsychotic disorders."

"I think the reason the use of these newer drugs has gone up so fast is that there was this widespread assumption that they were safer and more effective than what we had before. Well, we're seeing