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Health-Essentials Newsletter | October 2011

Dangers of pharmaceuticals, A1 or A2 milk, differences in beef production

In this issue:

Greetings, at long last, from Lincoln, Nebraska.  I can't believe how long it's been since my last newsletter.  But, this year has been deomonstrating to me again that, however much progress I've made in reclaiming my health, I'm still, to a significant degree, disabled.  Nothing like I used to be, but not where I'd like to be, either.

This autumn, however, has been really great.  I finally got back on my bicycle again, taking some long rides out on the bike trail, enjoying the open farmland, away from town.  It is exhilarating, especially after a summer of cabin fever.

Something else I've started is the KettleWorx workout system.  There is no way I can keep up with the routines on the DVDs, but I'm doing the best I can, and I'm seeing some impressive results.

I have a number of topics to cover this time.  I hope that you will find somethinge here that is of benefit to you.  Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and feel free to pass this along to anyone you know.

 

 

Dangers of the oral antibiotic Arestin

Nan, a member of my mailing list, went to see her dentist for some oral surgery.  As part of the procedure, she was administered Arestin.  It was a life-changing event.  As a result of this medication, she has lost her job and is really suffering from vertigo, stomach problems and vision problems.  She contacted me to ask that I sound a warning to you about this very dangerous drug.

Arestin (minocycline hydrochloride) is a dental antibiotic, delivering "minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, directly into the infected periodontal pocket."  It is used after "deep cleaning" of the teeth and gums (i.e.: scaling and root planing).  Studies have shown that this use is more effective than simple "deep cleaning" alone.  The side effects listed on mediLexicon include, "but are not limited to",

According to oraPHARMA, Inc, "Hypersensitivity reactions that included, but were not limited to, anaphylaxis, angioneurotic edema (a swelling, similar to hives, but the swelling is beneath the skin rather than on the surface; at one time it was thought to have some nerve involvement), urticaria (hives), rash, swelling of the face, and pruritus (itching) have been reported".  But, that is only a small part of the story.

As Nan found out, Arestin is a very dangerous drug, with possible life-changing side-effects.  While I don't know the number of doses of Arestin administered or the number of adverse events associated with it, it's basically common knowledge that adverse events are seriously under-reported; only about 5% to 20% of these events become part of the official record.  Besides the side-effects noted above, here is a sampling of what else you might find (cited on PatientVille):

Sometimes, these adverse events are serious enough to require hospitalization.

Honestly, I don't see how medications like this can remain on the market.  I guess it all has to do with the FDA's standards of risk/rewards.  Personally, I find that unconscionable, especially when safe and effective alternative exist.

Safe and effective alternatives to Arestin

Since Arestin is used in the treatment of periodontal problems, like gingivitis, I'll just cover some simple ways to prevent it, and what I've found effective in correcting it.

Gingivitis is caused by bacterial biofilms (a.k.a. plaque), which can adhere to tooth surfaces.  So, to prevent it, you need to incorporate safe anti-bacterial steps to your daily oral care regimen.

One of the most important things you can do to reduce bacterial build-up on your teeth is to have any dental amalgams removed from your mouth.  They create a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty things, besides being neuro-toxic (going straight into your brain when you chew), as well as creating serious imbalances in the gut flora.

What I have done for years is to wet my toothbrush with a food-grade hydrogen peroxide, then brush with a salt/soda mixture.  I use one part Himalayan Living Salt to four parts baking soda.  This will often give a nice foaming action, and leaves the mouth feeling cleaner than anything else I've ever tried.

Some people have questioned me about the hydrogen peroxide killing off the beneficial bacteria in the mouth.  I can't say that this has seemed to be a problem, but there are oral probiotic formulas on the market that should resolve this potential problem.  I've tried one from Garden of Life and another from Swanson Health Products; but I can't seem to tell if they are worth the expense or bother.  If you've removed any amalgams from your mouth, the bacteria will pretty much repopulate your mouth on their own.

Another very effective option for brushing is to use the salt/soda mixture, without the hydrogen peroxide, and add a few drops of the On Guard essential oil blend to the brush.  It's very effective and tastes great.  You can also use essential oils like melaleuca, lemon, frankincense or myrrh.  Myrrh oil has been used in dental products for many years, because of its anti-bacterial properties.  You could also use geranium, clove or birch oils.

dōTERRA® is coming out with a toothpaste, as well.  I haven't tried it, but I'm sure that it would offer great benefits for oral health.

Something else that I've done, which seems to work really well (I had some gum issues that I cleared up in a day or two doing this), is to put a drop of one of the oils noted above, or the blend Purify, onto my finger, then pull my dental floss/tape through it, before flossing.  It takes the oil down under the gums and provides amazing anti-bacterial benefits.

Another technique that many have used to great effect is oil pulling.  To do this, just add a few drops of one of the oils noted above (some say you can also use oregano oil; I'd say that peppermint would also be good) to a tablespoon of franctionated coconut oil, then swish it around your mouth, working it around your teeth and gums.  The description of this that I have says that you should do this for about ten minutes, before spitting out the oils; but I can't imagine doing it for that long.  Just make sure that you suck the oils between the teeth, until they've fully coated the surfaces, before spitting.  The idea is that oil pulling draws out toxins and plaque from your teeth and gums, while the oils aid in healing.  An added benefit is that it can also cut down on colds and flu.

One other thing that is very helpful in preventing gingivitis and plaque build-up is adding essential oils to your drinking water.  I use a glass jug (and old fruit juice bottle), which holds about 24 oz.  I fill it with pure water (I buy water taken from the Ogalala auquifer), then add a drop or two of peppermint oil, give it a good shake (that's why I don't just use a glass) to disperse the oils and drink.  It tastes great, is very refreshing and has cut down on the need for my dentist to chip away plaque during my cleanings.  Sometimes, I add a drop of lemon oil to this; other times I use lemon and lime oils, instead.

One other thing that you might find helpful.  I've recently started using a product called Adya Clarity.  I've done this primarily for detoxification, but it has an amazing ability to dissolve calcification.  It should be great for arthritis, as well as for oral health.

If you use any of these alternatives, you should never have to submit yourself to the dangers posed by Arestin.

 

 

Confessions of a Drug Company Insider

In 2003, Dr. Allen Roses, a top executive of the pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-SmithKline — worldwide Vice President of genetics — confessed that "The vast majority of drugs — more than 90% — only work in 30% or 50% of the people."  What that means is … most prescription drugs don't work for most of the people who take them.

Dr. Roses, an academic geneticist from Duke University, in North Carolina, further stated: "Drugs for Alzheimer's disease work in fewer than one in three patients, whereas those for cancer are only effective in a quarter of patients.  Drugs for migraines, for osteoporosis and arthritis work in about half the patients."

Many people might find this shocking, but it's been an open secret, within the pharmaceutical industry, that most of the drugs it produces are ineffective in most patients.  As bad as this seems, it's actually much worse.  It's one thing for a company to sell worthless products … and it's another thing altogether to sell worthless products that kill instead of heal.

The fact is, in the United States of America, the odds of being killed by conventional medicine are almost 20 times (2,000%) greater than being killed in an automobile accident, and almost 30 times (3,000%) greater than being killed by a gun.

The good news is that you don't need to be at the mercy of the modern medical establishment.  Essential oils offer you a very safe and effective alternative to pharmaceuticals.  For information on the best way to use the oils, I recommend the book Modern Essentials.  But, for a more comprehensive look at alternatives conventional medicine, you might check out the book, The Encyclopedia of Medical Breakthroughs and Forbidden Treatments.

For more on this, see Confessions of a Drug Company Insider.

 

 

Got Milk?  Does it really do a body good?

You've seen the ads, featuring some (okay, just say it . . . ) hunk or babe, with a milk mustache, and the tag line enticing you to buy your milk.  But, the truth is, the milk you buy in the store today really isn't such a wholesome food.  There are all sorts of problems with modern milk production, from terrible feed to hormones and antibiotics injected into the cows to homogenization, which breaks up the fats in the milk into particles that are too small for proper metabolization, to pasteurization, which basically denatures the milk, rendering it essentially dead and quite harmful to your health.  But, before you get to any other this, there is the question of the genetic line of the cows, themselves.

It seems that, between 5,000 and 8,000 years ago, there was a mutation in the cattle in Europe.  The effect was to alter the make-up of the beta casein protein molecule.  Before this mutation, what are known now as A2 cows produced in their milk a 229 amino acid beta casein, with proline at the number 67 spot in the chain.  However, in the mutated cows, instead of proline, their milk contained histidine.  These cows are known as A1, for the A1 beta casein they produce in their milk.

As Dr Thomas Cowan studies show (reported on Mercola.com), "Proline has a strong bond to a small protein called BCM 7, which helps keep it from getting into the milk, so that essentially no BCM 7 is found in the urine, blood or GI tract of old-fashioned A2 cows.  On the other hand, histidine, the mutated protein, only weakly holds on to BCM 7, so it is liberated in the GI tract of animals and humans who drink A1 cow milk.

"BCM 7 has been shown to cause neurological impairment in animals and people exposed to it, especially autistic and schizophrenic changes.  BCM 7 interferes with the immune response, and injecting BCM 7 in animal models has been shown to provoke type 1 diabetes.  Dr. Woodford's book, Devil in the Milk,tracking presents research showing a direct correlation between a population's exposure to A1 cow's milk and incidence of autoimmune disease, heart disease, type 1 diabetes, autism and schizophrenia."

The good news is that Beyond Organic offers you really raw cheeses and Amasai (like a kefir), produced from A2 cattle.  You can read more about this at Got Milk?  You can also learn more about this at Beyond Organic.  It will really do a body good.

 

 

Beef: It's what's for dinner; but not all beef is created equal.

Ever since the Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1948, many people have been convinced that red meat (beef) is a very unhealthful food.  The idea is that saturated fats (cholesterol) cause heart disease.  This simply is not true, as you can see in the article, The Cholesterol Theory of Heart Disease: It's a Lie.

However, beef produced in conventional, industrial feedlots is very different from other, healthier sources of beef.

To most people, beef is beef.  You may like it or hate it, but you think it's pretty much all the same.  However, how that beef if produced makes a world of difference in how your body handles it and the benefits it offers you.

When dealing with the question of cattle raised for beef, there are three distinctions that must be made; distinctions that are intrinsic to the discussion: the three primary methods of raising cattle for food.

  1. There is conventional, industrial feedlot beef production, which accounts for 90% of all beef produced.
  2. There is organic industrial beef production, which bears many similarities to conventional production, but with a few beneficial upgrades.
  3. Then there is Green-Fed, Green-Finished beef production, as practiced by Beyond Organic, which sets out to be the anti-feedlot method, in every way possible.

When properly raised and nourished, beef provides a very healthy source of many important macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, fats and minerals.  If there is one food a person can upgrade in his or her diet, one that will provide the most benefit and pack the biggest nutritional punch, it would be changing the quality of meat he or she consumes.  Simply put, when it comes to animal-based foods, it's not just what you eat; it's what they ate.

This is an important distinction, not typically considered.

Ultra-high-quality, Green-Fed, Green-Finished beef contains beneficial amounts of many substances:

Conversely, in a poorly-raised animal, the fat becomes a storage mechanism for many toxins, which anyone would naturally want to avoid.

Of all the ways in which beef can be produced, by far the best, most health-giving method is green-fed/green-finished beef.  It's the anti-feedlot system, and provides you with beef with a nutritional profile that can significantly improve the quality of your health.

You can read more about this at Differences in Beef Production and What It Means to You.  You can learn more about Beyond Organic at their website.

 

 

Well, that's it for this time.  I hope you are doing well.  Until next time.

Tom

Tom Anson | Health-Essentials.info
Health information you can use … from an alternative perspective

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