Cadbury recalls Chinese-made candy in chemical scare

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British confectioner Cadbury has recalled all of its Chinese-made candy products over fears that they may be contaminated with the chemical melamine, a company statement said Monday.

"The products that are affected by this withdrawal include a range of Cadbury chocolate products and Choclairs, all produced in our Beijing plant," Cadbury said in a statement.
Some or all of the products were exported to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, the Pacific island of Nauru and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, according to the company.

Cadbury said that it is implementing new food safety and quality checks at its Beijing plant and that fresh candies will be manufactured.

The candy maker is the latest company to get caught up in China's tainted-milk scandal. Melamine was first found in powdered infant formula but has since been traced to dozens of other products.

Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Continue Reading >>

Organic Produce Will Soon Be Cheaper Than Conventional Produce

A study suggests that the rising price of oil could soon make cereal crops grown with chemical fertilizers more expensive than those produced more naturally.

Industrial farming relies on fertilizers made from fossil fuels. These fertilizes are used to replace nutrients in the soil. Organic farming, however, improves soil fertility through crop rotations, and is therefore less affected by oil prices.

With oil predicted to reach $200 a barrel within five to 10 years, the profit margin on organic wheat, barley and oil seed rape could soon be significantly higher than for the same crops produced by non-organic methods.

Sources:

• Daily Telegraph September 2, 2008
• The Impact of Rising Oil Prices on Organic and Non-Organic Farm Profitability (Full-length PDF Report)

Regular Hand-Washing Can Prevent Against Colds, Flu

(HealthDay News) -- Fewer Americans are regularly washing their hands, even though it's one of the best ways to prevent colds and flu, says the fourth annual Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) Clean Hands Report Card.

"Americans should prepare for the onslaught of the cold and flu season. Cleaning your hands regularly throughout the day can help keep you out of the doctor's office or the emergency room," Nancy Bock, SDA's vice president of education, said in an SDA news release. The group has designated Sept. 21-27 as National Clean Hands Week to raise awareness of the need.

The report card, based on a national telephone survey of 916 people conducted in August, gives Americans a C-minus for their hand hygiene habits, the same score they had in 2006.

Here are some of the findings:

• Only 85 percent of respondents said they washed their hands after going to the bathroom, down from 92 percent in 2006.
• 46 percent said they wash their hands 15 seconds or less. Fifteen to 20 seconds of hand washing with soap is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the SDA.
• 39 percent of respondents said they seldom or never wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, compared to 36 percent in 2006.
• 35 percent said they don't wash their hands before eating lunch, compared to 31 percent in 2006.
• 37 percent wash their hands fewer than seven times on an average day.
• Only 56 percent of respondents knew that hand washing is the most effective way to prevent colds.

Teachers are one group that does understand the importance of hand washing, suggests a separate survey conducted during the 2008 National Education Association Expo in Washington, D.C., the SDA said. The survey of 230 teachers found that 97 percent knew that washing hands is the best way to prevent colds and flu, and 91 percent always or frequently clean their hands before eating lunch.

The SDA outlined how to wash hands to effectively remove germs:

• Wet hands with warm running water before applying soap.
• Rub hands together to make a lather. Do this away from running water so the lather isn't washed away.
• Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under the nails. Wash for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
• Rinse hands well under warm running water.
• Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
• Hand sanitizers or hand wipes are useful alternatives if soap and water aren't available for washing your hands.

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines how to protect yourself against germs at home, school and work.

Red Wine Molecule Might Battle MS

(HealthDay News) -- Resveratrol, the compound in red wine that previous research has linked to longevity, has shown promise in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

Mice with the MS-like condition called Wallerian degeneration slow (WldS) showed an initial weight gain when given resveratrol, researchers at the University of Utah reported Thursday at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, in Montreal.

The weight gain occurred in the first two weeks of treatment. A microscopic study of nerve cell tissue at five weeks did not show any positive effect.

"They didn't look at the tissue under the microscope in the first two weeks," said Dr. John Richert, executive vice president for the research and clinical program of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. "Obviously, lots of things can make animals gain weight."

But weight gain of any kind is an encouraging sign in MS treatment, Richert said. "In inflammatory animal models of MS, one of the tell-tale clinical signs of the disease is weight loss. Weight loss often goes hand in hand with loss of neurological function."

The study "poses some questions," Richert said. "Obviously, a lot more needs to be done to see if the weight gain shows a beneficial effect on the disease process. This is evidence that it should be studied further."

Another report at the meeting was on positive results of a human trial of a new drug, laquinimod, which is given in pill form. Developed in the United States, it acts to prevent the body's immune system from attacking nerve cells.

An international study led by Italian physicians had two different doses of laquinimod given to 376 people with MS. "The higher dose was quite effective in reducing the lesions which characterize multiple sclerosis," said study author Dr. Giancarlo Comi, a professor of neurology at the University Vita-Salute and Scientific Institute San Raffaele, in Milan.

The higher dose reduced brain lesions by about 50 percent, Comi said. The people who got it also had a 30 percent reduction in MS flare-ups, which can cause vision loss and lack of coordination severe enough to prevent someone from walking, he said.

There will be a larger study that will recruit more than 1,000 people with MS and will last for two years, Comi said. If all goes well, it could be available for clinical use in three years.

A great advantage of the drug is that it can be taken by mouth, Comi said. "All the available therapies are injectable," he said. "Can you imagine how large an advantage this therapy would be?"

Another noninjectable drug that probably is already being overused against MS has shown promise in an animal study, researchers at Pennsylvania State University reported at the same meeting. It is naltrexone, developed for treatment of drug abuse.

"Thousands of people are taking this drug for MS on the basis of what other people have said," said Dr. Ian S. Zagon, distinguished university professor in neural and behavioral sciences at Penn State. "So, we decided to do animal studies about its efficacy."

The study of animals with an MS-like condition found that low-dose naltrexone helped, but high doses worsened the disease, Zagon said. Penn State is organizing a human trial of low-dose naltrexone in MS, he said. Meanwhile, use of the drug for the condition is not recommended, Zagon said.

More information
Learn about MS from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

10 First Aid Mistakes

Sometimes, the first aid measures taken on the scene before a patient arrives at the hospital can make all the difference. Here are the 10 most common first aid mistakes -- and what you should do instead.

1. Cut off finger part

Don't try to preserve the loose part by placing it directly on ice.

Do wrap the severed part in damp gauze (saline would be ideal for wetting the cloth), place it in a watertight bag and place the bag on ice. Then be sure to bring the bag and ice to the emergency room. As for the wound on the hand or body, apply ice to reduce swelling and cover it with a clean, dry cloth.

2. Knocked-out tooth

Don't scrub the tooth hard even if it's dirty (a gentle rinse is OK)

Do put the tooth in milk and go straight to the ER; there's a chance the tooth could be reimplanted.

3. Burns

Don't apply ice or butter or any other type of grease to burns. Also, don't cover a burn with a towel or blanket, because loose fibers might stick to the skin. When dealing with a serious burn, be careful not to break any blisters or pull off clothing stuck to the skin.

Do wash and apply antibiotic ointment to mild burns. Head to the hospital for any burns to the eyes, mouth, or genital areas, even if mild; any burn that covers an area larger than your hand; and any burn that causes blisters or is followed by a fever.

4. Electrical burns

Don't fail to get medical attention for a jolt of electricity, even if no damage is evident. An electrical burn can cause invisible (and serious) injury deeper inside the body.

Do go to the ER immediately.

5. Sprained ankle

Don't use a heating pad.

Do treat a sprain with ice. Go to the ER if it is very painful to bear weight; you might have a fracture.

6. Nosebleed

Don't lean back. And after the bleeding has stopped, don't blow your nose or bend over.

Do sit upright and lean forward and pinch your nose steadily (just below the nasal bone) for five to 10 minutes. If the bleeding persists for 15 minutes (or if you think you are swallowing a lot of blood) go to the ER.

7. Bleeding

Don't use tourniquets! You could cause permanent tissue damage.

Do apply steady pressure to the wound with a clean towel or gauze pack and wrap the wound securely. Go to the ER if the bleeding doesn't stop, or if the wound is gaping or caused by an animal bite. To help prevent shock, keep the victim warm.

8. Ingestion of poison

Don't induce vomiting or use Ipecac syrup (unless instructed to do so by emergency personnel).

Do call poison control, and bring the ingested substance with its container to the ER.

9. Being impaled

Don't remove the object; you could cause further damage or increase the risk of bleeding.

Do stabilize the object, if possible, and go to the ER.

10. Seizures

Don't put anything in the victim's mouth.

Do lay the victim on the ground if possible in an open space and roll the victim onto his or her side. Call 911.

You should also call 911 whenever you see or experience chest pain, fainting, confusion, uncontrollable bleeding or shortness of breath.

Sources:
Newsweek April 14, 2008

Plans dropped to study chelation for autism

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- A government agency has dropped plans for a study of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an unethical experiment on children.

The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statement Wednesday that the study of the treatment -- called chelation -- has been abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better used testing other potential therapies for autism and related disorders, the statement said.

The study had been on hold because of safety concerns after another study published last year linked a drug used in the treatment to lasting brain problems in rats.

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. Continue Reading >>

Black Raspberries Slow Cancer by Altering Hundreds of Genes

New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents found in concentrated black raspberries could more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene.

Researchers examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a chemical carcinogen in an animal model of esophageal cancer. The carcinogen affected the activity of 2,200 genes in the animals’ esophagus in only one week. However, 460 of those genes were restored to normal activity in animals that consumed freeze-dried black raspberry powder.

Black raspberries contain many vitamins, minerals, phenols and phytosterols, which are known to individually prevent cancer in animals.
Sources:
Science Blog August 28, 2008
Cancer Research August 1, 2008, 68, 6460-6467

Did Bayer Pesticides Cause the Mass Death of Bees?

The German Coalition against Bayer Dangers has brought a charge against Werner Wenning, chairman of the Bayer Board of Management. The group accuses Bayer of marketing dangerous pesticides and thereby causing the mass death of bees all over the world.

The Coalition introduced the charge in cooperation with German beekeepers who lost thousands of hives after poisoning by the pesticide clothianidin in May this year.

Since 1991, Bayer has been producing the insecticide Imidacloprid, a best-selling product that is exported to more than 120 countries. When patent protection for Imidacloprid expired in most countries in 2003, Bayer brought the similarly functioning Clothianidin onto the market. Both substances can get into pollen and nectar, and can damage beneficial insects such as bees.

The marketing of Imidacloprid and Clothianidin coincided with the occurrence of large-scale bee deaths in many European and American countries. Up to 70 percent of all hives have been affected.

The German Coalition against Bayer Dangers suspects that Bayer submitted flawed studies to play down the risks of pesticide residues in treated plants -- a suspicion that was later confirmed by the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Sources:
Organic Consumers Organization August 25, 2008

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured by Digital Pulse wave analyzer (DPA)

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured by Digital Pulse wave analyzer (DPA)

Why You Should Never Eat Tuna Burgers Again

By Amy O'Connor

Quick: Name one of the most common seafood poisonings you can get. If you said E. coli, salmonella, listeria, or any of the other food-borne illnesses making news and populating editorial pages, you’d be wrong. The answer is scombroid poisoning, a Z-list pathogen that needs a PR makeover—stat!—because no one seems to know about it.

Until Howard Rubenstein takes up the cause, I’ll share that I got scombroid within an hour of eating bad tuna last year. And the same thing could happen to you after a nice meal of salmon or even sardines. Symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid pulse, nausea, and an unpleasant full-body flush that sends you rushing to the head of the line at the ER certain you’re having the Big One. Just when the nurses pull out the paddles, a world-weary doc saunters over, looks you up and down, and asks: “Did you have tuna for lunch?” An affirmative response gets you a quick injection in the rear and your walking papers.Read More
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Truth in Labeling: Can the FDA Improve Allergen Warnings?

By Sean Kelley

Pick up a bag of Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels. Under the list of ingredients—sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, and soy lecithin—you’ll find this phrase: Made in a facility that also processes peanuts.

Seeing this warning for the first time after our son Graeme was diagnosed with multiple multiple food allergies scared the hell out of me. Is there wheat in his oatmeal? Could a peanut be lurking in his yogurt-covered raisins? Even a minuscule amount of the wrong allergen could send him into anaphylactic shock. Read More
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With Children Sick, China Pulls Tainted Milk

Milk powder tainted with a banned chemical is coming off store shelves in China. So far, one child has died and another 432 children are sick. The milk is linked to kidney stones in infants.

Free Detox Diet Plan For Quick Weight Loss

Practical Hints for a Detoxifying Regime
by Dr. Kiki Sidhwa, N.D., D.O., D.N.H.

I have no doubt in my mind that long fasts have the best results in chronic ailments. But not many people have the time or inclination nor the necessary grit and commitment to undertake such a fast. For those who want to detoxify themselves the following practical suggestions will go a long way in helping them to detoxify.

Most people are quite capable of doing a three day water fast. Be sure to obtain purified water only. During these three days, slow down your daily activities - specially physical activities. Some may even find it is better to take to bed and keep warm if the weather is cold. Continue Reading >>

Teaching the Fundamentals of Maintaining an Alkaline Diet.

Alkaline Diet Supplements
Eating right is great for maintaining a proper alkaline balance in your diet. In order to increase the effectiveness of the Acid-Alkaline Diet you are going to need some help. There is a wide range of things your body needs to expel the acids that have built up over the years. They are as follows:

• Mineral Supplements
• Green Foods
• Enzyme Supplements
• Antioxidants
• Prebiotics and Probiotics
• Mineral Supplements

The alkaline diet needs the following supplements to be most effective:

• Calcium (Ca) - it makes up the skeletal system - you need that.
• Potassium (k) - helps with cellular exchanges - low levels mean low energy.
• Magnesium (Mg) - calms the nerves and boosts the immune system.
• Iron (Fe) - carries oxygen in the blood.
• Manganese (Mn) - catalyst in biochemical reactions.

Look for supplements that contain all 5 of these minerals. These supplements may also be paired with other minerals such as sodium (Na) and silica. Each of these has their benefits but if you already have high blood pressure you will want to avoid the supplements containing sodium.

Green Foods
Green Foods are usually found in the form of a powder that can be added to different beverages or a capsule. They are not usually what we eat but are highly nutritious greens made of the young sprouts of cereal grains and forage plants. The four major kinds are:

Wheat Sprouts - contains more alkaline minerals than any other sprout or green vegetable and is also higher in iron than spinach. Also contains more chlorophyl than any other plant source which has tremendous benefits.
Alfalfa - high levels of protein and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and selenium)
Barley Grass - recognized by researchers as the most nutritious plant in existence.
Kamut - very nutritious - higher content of certain minerals
Look for commercially prepared green products to contain these varieties. Look for the powdered form of the juice which is more potent. When reading the ingredients look for the word juice for as many ingredients as possible. Continue Reading >>

Air Pollution Harms Patients After Heart Attack

(HealthDay News) -- Tiny particles in air pollution can harm people with coronary artery disease by crippling the ability of the heart to conduct electrical signals, Harvard University researchers report.

Pollution from cars and trucks and industrial plants has been shown to trigger heart attacks, but exactly how it does that hasn't been well-known, researchers say.

"We found that elevation in fine particles from non-traffic as well as traffic sources and black carbon, a marker for traffic, predicted depression ST-segment levels," said lead researcher Dr. Diane R. Gold, an associate professor of medicine and environmental health. "Effects were greatest within the first month after hospitalization and for patients with heart attack during hospitalization or with diabetes."

The report is published in the Sept. 9 online edition of Circulation.

For the study, Gold's team collected data on 48 patients from the Boston area with coronary artery disease. The researchers monitored the patients for 24 hours using portable electrocardiograph machines looking for changes in the electrical conductivity of the heart called ST-segment depression. This dysrhythmia can indicate inadequate blood flow to the heart or inflammation of the heart muscle.

All patients had been hospitalized for heart attack, unstable angina or worsening symptoms of coronary artery disease. Forty percent had suffered heart attacks, and 25 percent had diabetes.

Gold's group also looked at the average 24-hour levels for all pollutants in Boston. They found that these levels were below accepted or proposed National Air Quality Standard thresholds.

The researchers found that increased levels of a pollutant called PM 2.5 and black carbon, which is found in traffic exhaust, was associated with an increase in ST-segment depression.

In addition, sulfur dioxide, which is the product of combustion, but not from cars, was also associated with an increase in ST-segment depression.

Increases in ST-segment depression were particularly higher in patients recovering from a heart attack compared with other patients, the researchers reported.

"If the air pollution-associated ST-segment changes represent either myocardial inflammation or risk of ischemia, then it is possible that reduction in regional traffic and non-traffic associated air pollution may reduce heart attack or risk for either ischemia, arrhythmia or heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease in the period after hospitalization," Gold said.

For patients who have just been discharged from hospital after a heart attack, guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology suggest that patients should avoid heavy traffic because of the stress of driving, Gold said.

"Our study provides additional rationale to avoid or reduce heavy traffic exposure after discharge, even for those without a completed myocardial infarction, since traffic exposure involves pollution exposure as well as stress," Gold said.

Dr. Byron Lee, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, agrees that patients who have had a recent heart attack should avoid air pollution.

"This study provides very strong evidence that environmental pollution puts added stress on the heart," Lee said. "Patients who have just had a heart attack should probably do what they can to avoid pollution exposure. This may mean staying indoors during smoggy days or getting out of the city altogether."

Dr. Samin Sharma, director of interventional cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, thinks that patients who have suffered a recent heart attack and live in areas where air pollution levels are high and unavoidable need to be monitored more carefully.

"Maybe these patients need close follow-up," Sharma said. "These patients may need an increase in their heart medications or medications need to be changed. Optimal aggressive medical therapy and optimization of medical care could be the answer for these patients."

More information

For more on air pollution and heart disease, visit the American Heart Association.

How Does Religion Influence the Choice to Continue a Down Syndrome Pregnancy?

By Andrea Useem

Gov. Sarah Palin continued her pregnancy after learning that her son would be born with Down syndrome. That fact has become an important part of her public persona since Senator John McCain announced that she was his vice-presidential pick. And it got me wondering how much religion plays a role when families decide whether to proceed with Down syndrome pregnancies. Read More

Is There an Allergen-Free Diet in My Future?

By Sean Kelley

When people ask my wife and me what we feed Graeme, our toddler with multiple food allergies, we tell them that he eats better than anyone else in the house. He does so well, in fact, that I’m about to adopt his diet to see what it can do for my health.
Here’s a day in the life of Graeme’s diet: Read More

Eww or eureka? An ode to earwax

By Dr. Billy Goldberg and Mark Leyner

In the great drama that is medicine, there are obvious villains: cancer, heart disease, trauma. And there are glorious heroes: vaccines, antibiotics, artificial hearts, etc. It’s easy to wax poetic about such august matters. But we prefer the bit players on the medical stage – the unsung, largely forgettable conditions. Of these, nothing is as gloriously mundane as earwax.

Earwax – or cerumen, as it’s known in the biz – is made up of keratin (the stuff of dead skin) along with fatty secretions, a mix that protects the ear canal from water and infection.

There are two types of cerumen: wet and dry. Wet cerumen, which is light or dark brown and sticky, has a relatively high concentration of lipid and pigment granules. Dry cerumen, which is grey or tan and brittle, tends to have less fat and pigment. The wet wax tends to be most frequent in Caucasians and African Americans, while the dry version is found in the ear canals of Asians and Native Americans. (We’re surprised that no enterprising screenwriter has come up with some nightmare, doomsday scenario in which the world is ultimately Balkanized into two warring camps, The Wet Cerumens and The Dry Cerumens, whose internecine battle results in the destruction of the planet.) Continue Reading >>

Think You Are Lead-Free? Check Your Soil

(HealthDay News) -- While lead has been phased out of U.S. gasoline, paint and other products, lead levels in dirt -- maybe even the soil in your yard or the local playground -- are still a public health hazard, warns an Indianapolis researcher.

"In urban areas -- Indianapolis, Detroit, St. Louis -- soil lead, even away from the home or the road, is 8 to 10 times higher than natural soil [not exposed to the burden of lead]," noted Gabriel Filippelli, professor of earth sciences and department chair at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

He conducted a review of the data on urban soils as a persistent source of lead poisoning, published in a recent issue of the journal Applied Geochemistry. The work was done with lead author, Mark A.S. Laidlaw, formerly a student at the university.

The two also investigated the current "lead burden" in soils from Indianapolis and other cities. Older American cities have a very high lead burden, and it's enough to adversely affect children's health, Filippelli contended.

It's especially bad when the wind kicks up in dry temperatures and spreads the lead-laden soil around. "That is when kids' blood levels go up," the expert said.

While blood levels during these windy times have not been shown to typically rise past what's considered a healthy limit by federal guidelines, Filippelli said, many studies have shown that ill health effects can kick in below that established level.

According to Filippelli and other experts, a child's developing digestive system is especially susceptible to lead poisoning. At the atomic level, lead looks similar to calcium, he said, since the two substances are similar in size and ionic charge. That means the body's nervous system can readily take up lead instead of calcium, potentially leading to neural deficits.

Solutions? Municipalities have to try aggressively to control the lead-laden soil, Filippelli said. Spraying the dirt with water using high-powered shower systems is one way to decrease the lead content and minimize lead poisoning. But this must be done regionally, since doing one house but not the one next door won't solve the problem, he added.

Another remedy, much more costly and probably less feasible, is to put a layer of clean soil on top of the contaminated soil and then grass seed, Filippelli said.

And what can the average consumer do? "Water your yard regularly," the expert said, unless you live in an area with water rationing or restrictions. Meanwhile, Filippelli is continuing research to convince municipalities that efforts spent on getting rid of lead in soil is money well spent.

Getting the Lead Out

The finding that lead is prevalent in soils, especially in urban areas, is no news to Ruth Ann Norton, executive director of the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, based in Baltimore.

"Urban soil is an important source of lead," she said. But she added that housing still tops the list for lead exposure due to old lead-based paints. Numerous products that used lead as a stabilizer, such as furniture, old mini-blinds, old paint and old costume jewelry, may still be in people's homes, she added.

Some tips on avoiding or removing lead:

• Repair chipping paint, especially old paint. "If you live in an older home (pre-1978), and you have chipping peeling or flaking, you want to repair that safely," she said. That means not dry scraping but wet scraping -- and probably getting professional advice if you decide to do it yourself.
• Know that a little lead can go a long way. "A lead chip the size of a nickel, if broken down, could contaminate a 3,000-square-foot house," Norton said.
• Minimize exposure, especially if you live in an older neighborhood that's likely to have lead in the soil. "Leave your shoes at the door," she said. "Have a welcome mat you can wash off."

More information
Find out more about lead poisoning at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Using Epsom Salts For Detoxing Body Acidity

Giving an infusion of magnesium sulfate or Epsom Salts just before delivery to pregnant women who were at high risk for preterm birth, cut the rate of cerebral palsy in the children born by half, a new study found.

"This is one of the most promising breakthroughs in the management of high-risk pregnancies in more than 30 years," said Dr. John Thorp, a study co-author and McAllister distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"The active ingredient we used in this study, magnesium sulfate, is better known as Epsom salt," Thorp said.
"And virtually every delivery room in the United States is already stocked with magnesium sulfate solutions that are given to pregnant women during childbirth for other reasons.

"So what we have learned from this study is that we have a cheap, widely available treatment already in hand that cuts in half the risk of babies being born with an extremely disabling disorder. That is a tremendously exciting development," Thorp said.

In the study, 2,241 women who had been diagnosed at high risk for giving birth prematurely, between 24 and 31 weeks into their pregnancies, were randomized to receive an intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate solution or an identically appearing placebo.
The infusions were begun when delivery seemed imminent, at a rate of 6 grams infused over 20-30 minutes followed by a maintenance infusion of 2 grams per hour.
If delivery did not occur within 12 hours, the infusion was stopped and resumed later when delivery once again appeared at hand.

The researchers were looking to see if magnesium sulfate reduced the rate of stillbirth or infant death, or reduced the rate of moderate or severe cerebral palsy at or beyond the age of 2 years. They found that the risk of death did not differ significantly between the magnesium sulfate and placebo groups. However, moderate or severe cerebral palsy occurred about half as often in the magnesium sulfate group than in the placebo group,
1.9 percent versus 3.5 percent.

Doctors who specialize in managing the pregnancies of women at high risk for preterm birth could begin using the magnesium sulfate treatment immediately, if they choose to do so, Thorp said. Approval for the treatment from the Food and Drug Administration is not required. In addition, the U.S. and Australian studies are the largest, most rigorously conducted and pertinent trials to date and are not likely to be replicated, Thorp said.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center, "magnesium sulfate or Epsom salt can also be used for detoxing the liver and bowel of dietary and metabolic acids.
Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of magnesium sulfate in 1 liter of 9.5 alkaline water and drink the entire solution within 5 to 10 minutes. This solution should be ingested, first thing upon rising. The detoxing of the bowel and liver generally takes place within 60 minutes after ingestion, so make sure you are close to a bathroom."

Glutathione - The Master Antioxidant

I am excited to announce the creation of the first natural water-based oral glutathione from avocados. This article will tell you why this is so important to your health and well-being.

Glutathione (pronounced 'gloota-thigh-own') is the body's essential health ABC's - Antioxidant, Blood Booster and Cell Detoxifer.

It is a tripeptide composed of glutamic, cysteine and glycine. Glutathione is found in all cells in the body, including the bile, the epithelial lining fluid of the lungs, and - at much smaller concentrations - in the blood.

Glutathione is the smallest intracellular non-protein thiol (molecule containing an S_H or sulfhydryl group) molecule in the cells. This characteristic emphasizes its potent antioxidant action and supports a multifaceted thiol exchange system, which regulates cell activity.

This small protein, produced naturally in the body, maintains these three crucial protective functions.
In fact, your life depends on glutathione. Without it, your cells would disintegarate from unrestrained oxidation, your body would have little resistance to metabolic acids, and your liver would shrivel up from the eventual accumulation of acidic toxins.

Glutathione is not yet a household word. Even some medical and holistic doctors who have heard the term may still have only a vague idea of what it is. However, everyone will soon be talking about this critical non-nutritive substance.

There was a time when only scientists had heard of cholesterol and vitamins, but today, everyone knows about them. Now the magnificence of glutathione is becoming known.

In the last five years, over 25,000 medical articles about this substance have been published, and the scientific understanding of glutathione is gradually becoming common knowledge.

Each and every cell in the body is responsible for its own supply of glutathione and must have the necessary raw materals in order to produce it. Glutathione is always in great demand and is rapidly consumed when we experience any sort of emotional or physical stress, fatigue and even moderate exercise.

Some well-known causes of glutathione depletion are as follows:

1) Aidic lifestyle and diet
2) Air and Water pollution
3) Prescription and recreational drugs
4) Ultraviolet and Radiation from cells phones, computers, electrical cars, power lines, hair dryers, etc.
5) Emotional and physical stress
6) Injury, trauma or burns
7) Heavy metals
8) Cigarette smoke
9) Household chemicals
10) Acetaminophen poisoning
11) Exhaust from motor vehicles
12) Septic shock

All of these above factors lead to a build up of acidic toxins that cause the loss of glutathione as a non-nutritive buffer leading to cellular aging, dis-ease and finally death.

Why is Glutathione Essential to Health?

Glutathione's three major roles in the body are summarized by the letters A-B-C.

- Anti-oxidant
- Blood Booster
- Cell Detoxifier

These are the three critical processes driven by glutathione.

The Master Antioxidant

Over the past thirty years, researchers have explored the role of antioxidants in good health as well as the treatment and prevention of diseases involving oxidation or fermentation by metabolic acids.

Well known and widely used antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin E and selenium neutralize acid. They occur naturally in nature, but not in the body. They must be introduced as part of a balanced diet.

Given the critical role of antioxidants in good health, it is not surprising that the body itself manufactures its own natural antioxidants.
The most important of these is glutathione. Because all other antioxidants depend upon the presence of glutathione to function properly, scientists call it 'the master antioxidant.'

Glutathione binds to toxins, forming a water-soluble complex - which is ultimately excreted in the urine or bile as waste.

Food for the Blood

Elevated glutathione levels enable the body to produce more white blood cells. White blood cells are the body's garbage collectors and are the most important cells for maintaining sterility of the body fluids.

Glutathione plays a central role in the proper function of the white blood cells. Dr. Bustavo Bounous, a leading glutathione expert, says, 'The limiting factor in the proper activity of our lymphocytes (the white blood cells) is the availability of glutathione.' In other words, healthy growth and activity of the white blood cells depends upon glutathione's availability. Put simply, glutathione is 'food' for the white blood cells.

Cellular Detoxifier

Whether we know it or not, we are continually inhaling and ingesting natural and synthetic acidic toxins. They are unavoidable in these modern times both in our polluted cities and our poorly engineered food supplies. When the body has the health and the nourishment it needs, it works tirelessly to elimnate acidic toxins and to protect itself.

But, increasing levels of environmental pollution are depleting the body's store of glutathione more and more rapidly.

Our main organ of detoxification of acidic waste products is the lymphatic system and the liver.
This is the body's most concentrated source of glutathione.

Studies show that low glutathione levels lead to poor lymphatic and liver function, causing more and more acidic toxins to circulate through the body and resulting in damage to individual cells and organs.

Medical doctors today routinely use glutathione- promoting drugs to detoxify victims of certain types of drug overdose.

Glutathione in Natural Medicine

Practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have long advocated the use of milk thistle for liver problems. It turns out that this herb works by modestly elevating glutathione levels. The mineral selenium also produces subtle elevations in glutathione by becoming intregarated into the glutathione peroxidase.

Glutathione in Traditional Medicine

Emergency medical doctors, toxicologists and lung and liver specialists are well acquainted with glutathione's therapeutic uses. American physcians seeking ways to raise a patient's glutathione levels can open the standard Physician's Desk Reference
(PDR) and find two options - the pharmaceutical drugs sold under the names Parlodex and Mucomyst, and the natural dietary supplement found in natural foods stores derived from whey protein isolate.

Drugs That Raise Glutathione Levels

Pharmaceutical drugs like Procysteine, OTC, OTX, Glutathione monoesters and Glutathione diesters have been used to raise glutathione levels. However, they all produce side effects and are unsuitable for long term use.

This pharmaceutical non-nutritive chemical is used to break up mucus in lung dis-eases such as cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis and asthma. It remains the standard treatment for acetaminophen overdose.

Glutathione in Health and Dis-Ease

It is believed that glutathione has an important role to play in the prevention and treatment of dis-ease.
It may in the future be considered as important to health as an alkaline diet, exercise and alkaline lifestyle. Clinical tests show that raised glutathione levels may address some of the eight major health issues of our time:

1) Cardiovascular

- Prevents heart dis-ease - Shimizu H, Kiyohara Y, Kitazono T, Kubo M, Ibayashi S, Fufishima M, Lida M.
Relationship Between Plasma Glutathione Levels and Cardiovascular Disease in a Defined Population:
The Hisyama Study. Stroke. 2004 Sep; 35(9):2072-7.

- Prevents stroke - Paterson PG, Juurlink BH.
Nutritional Regulation of Glutathione in Stroke.
Neurtox Res. 1999 Dec; 1(2): 99-112.

- Prevents atherosclerosis - Coppola L, Grassia A, Giunta R. Glutathione Improves Hemostatic and Hemorrheological Parameters in Atherosclerotic Subject. Drugs Exp. Clin Res 1992
18:493-98

- Reverses atherosclerosis
- Prevents reperfusion injury

2) Cancer

Cancer causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found to alter levels of glutathione compounds in experiments, which may alter the body's resistance to certain types of cancer.

Glutathione deficiencies have been linked to many forms of cancer.

- Prevents cancerous tissue
- Suppresses tumor growth
- Eliminates carcinogen - acids
- Retards oxidative stress
- Prevents wasting dis-ease
- Eases side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy

3) Pulmonary

Glutathione is the most efficient free radical (acid) scavenger in the airways, and dozens of studies have confirmed that free radical (acid) damage is a primary player in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Rahman I, MacNee W. Oxidative Stress and Regulation of Glutathione in Lung Inflammation. Eur Respir J. 2000 Sep; 16(3):534-54.

- Breaks up mucus - Rahman I, MacNee W.
Oxidative Stress and Regulation of Glutathione in Lung Inflammation. Eur Respir J. 2000 Sep;
16(3):534-54

- Cystic fibrosis - Glutathione neutralized harmful oxidants introduced into the lungs or those released by cells. Exotoxins from bacteria can overload the endobronchial terrain and feed the fires of acidic inflammation. This staggering burden increases the oxidative sensitivity of the CF lung, resulting in further injury of lung parenchyma. Data supports evidence of a decrease in the anitoxidant tri-peptide glutathione (Roum JH, Buhl R, McElvaney NG, et al.
Systemic Deficiency of Glutathione in Systic Fibrosis.
J Appl Physiol 1993; 75:19-24).

- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis

- Emphysema - Lamson, David, MD, Grignall, Matthew, ND. The use of Nebulized Glutathione in the Treatment of Emphysema: A Case Report. Altern Med Review. 5(5);429-431, 2000 Oct.

- Pulmonary fibrosis - Ishii T, Fujishiro M, Nakajima J, Teramoto S, Ouchi Y, Matsuse T. Depletion of Glutathion S-Transferase P1 Induces Apoptosis in Huamn Lung Fibroblasts. Exp Lung Res. 29(7);523-36, 2003 Oct-Nov.

4) Aging

Glutathione is critically important to our brain as it is one of the most important brain antioxidants.
Glutathione helps preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals (acids).

In addition to quenching dangerous acids, glutathione also acts to recycle vitamin E which also has the ability to reduce acidity in the brain. (Perlmutter D., BrainRecovery.com July 2004, 5th ed:13)

- Autism - Medical literature documents that an out-fection can lead to a lowering of glutathione which participates in detoxification, interacts with metallothioneins, and supports
many crucial aspects of immunity. A link between glutathione and autism regression may derive from the fact that transient or chronic intestinal problems can impair an infant's or toddler's nutritional status, thereby minimizing the levels of amino-acids required for the production of glutathione (McCandless, J. Children With Starving Brains. 2003, 2nd ed;
252)

- Parkinson's disease - Glutathione helps to preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals (acids) and destructive chemicals formed by the normal processes of metabolism, toxic elements in the environment, and as a normal response of the body to challenges by acidic agents or other stresses. With the understanding that glutathione is important for brain protection and that this protection many be lacking in the brains of Parkinson's clients due to glutathione deficiency, it can be seen as very beneficial.
(Di Monte DA, Cahn P, Sandy MS. Glutathione in Parkinson's Disease: A Link Between Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage?
An Neurol. 32 Suppl; S111-115, 1992.)

- Alzheimer's disease - Woltjer, R.L., Hgheim W., Maezawa I., Vaisar T, Montine K.S., Montine T.J., Role of Glutathione in Intracellular Amyloid-Alpha Recursor Protein/Carboxy- Terminal Fragment Aggregation and Associated Cytotoxicity. J Neurochem. 2005 May; 93 (4):
1047-56.

- Huntington's disease - Choo Y.S., Mao Z, Johnson GV, Lesort M. Increased Glutathione Levels In Cortical Striatal Mitochondria of the
R6/2 Huntington's Disease Mouse Model.
Neuroscience Letter. 2005 Sep 23; 386(1):
63-8.

- Multiple sclerosis - Calabrese V, Scapaginini G, Ravagna A, Bella R, Butterfield DA, Calvani M, Pennisi G, Giuffrida Stella AM. Disruption of Thiol Homeostasis and Nitrostative Stress in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Active Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence for a Protective Role of Acetylcarnitine. 2003 Sep; 28(9):
1321-8. Mann CL, Davies MB, Aldersea J, Fryer AA, Jones PK, Ko Ko C, Young C, Strange RC, Hawkins CP. Glutathione S-Transferase Polymorphisms in MS:
Their Relationship to Disability. Neurology.
2000 Feb 8;54(3):542-7.

- ALS - Tohgi H, Abe T, Yamazaki K, Murata T, Ishizake E, Isobe C. Increase in Oxidized Products and Reduction in Oxidized Glutathione in Cerborospinal Fluid From Patients with Sporadic Form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurosci Lett. 1999 Feb 5; 260(3):204-6.

- Cataract formation
- Macular degeneration
- Cancers of aging
- Prostate problems

- Osteoarthritis - Hammarqvist F, Luo JL, cotgreave IA, Andersson K, Wernerman J. Skeletal Muscle Glutathione is Depleted In Critically Ill Patients. Crit Care Med.
25(1):78-84 1997 Jan.

5) Digestive

- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Hepatitis
- Malnutrition
- Pancreatitis
- Peptic ulcer

6) Toxicology

- Detoxifies certain drug overdoses -
Acetaminophen has been shown to reduce
glutathione production, thus paving the way for enhanced brain destruction by metabolic acids. (Perlmutter D. July 2004, 5th ed:108)

- Detoxifies substances in cigarette smoke and auto exhaust - Rahman I, MacNee W.
Lung Glutathione and Oxidative Stress:
Implications In Cigarette Smoke-Induced Airway Disease. Am J Physiol. 277(6 Pt 1);1067-88,
1999 Dec.

- Detoxifies pollutants including heavy metals and pesticides - Elevated glutathione levels have been shown to protect tissue form lipid peroxidation created by exposure to certain metals. Consider infusions of glutathione to relieve the body burden of both neurotoxins and metal toxicity, including mercury. (Foster, JS.
Kane PC, Speight N. The Detoxx Book. 2002;90)

- Prevents hearing loss from noise pollution
- Detoxifies many well-known carcinogens

7) Immunology

- Anti-viral for AIDS, hepatitis, herpes, etc. - Low glutathione levels in HIV clients may contribute to their immune deficiency since glutathione plays an important role in the function of lymphocytes. Some lymphocytes require adequate levels of glutathione in order to function normally, and HIV induces oxidative stress that depletes the cells of glutathione. Townsend DM, Tew KD, Tapero H.
The Importance of Glutathione in Human
Disease. Biomed Pharmacother. 2003
May-June;57(3-4):145-55. Droge W, Holm E.
Role of Cysteine and Glutathione in HIV Infection and other Diseases Associated with Muscle Wasting and Immunological Dysfunction.
FASEB J, 11(13):1077-89 1997 Nov.

- Lyme Dis-Ease - Lyme dis-ease is a seriously complex multi-system acidic inflammatory condition that is triggered by bacterial exotoxins.
Glutathione helps to remove exotoxic and/or mycotoxic acids by forming a soluble compound with them, which can then be excreted through the urine or gut. (Can Glutathione Help Lyme Disease Suffers? Excerpt from: The Glutathione
Report: Opitmal Health with the Master Antioxidant, Issue 4, Volume 1, May 2004).

- Natural antibiotic

- Chronic fatigue syndrome - An article in the journal of Medical Hypothesis proposed that glutathione, an anitoxidant essential for lymphocyte function, may be depleted in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. Glutathione is needed for both the immune system and for aerobic muscular contraction. The authors proposed that glutathione depletion by an activated immune system also causes the muscular fatigue and myalgia associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Bounous et al. 1999).

8) Metabolic

- Athletic enhancement
- Decreases recovery time from physical stress
- Supports hemoglobin in kidney failure

- Diabetes - The blood and tissues of diabetics are marked by critically low glutathione levels.
Glutathione depletion may have adverse
consequences in diabetic clients independent of glycemic control, and it may weaken the defense against oxidative stress. De Mattia G, Bravi MC, Laurenti O, Cassone-Faldetta M, Armiento A, Ferri C, Falsano F. Influence of Reduced Glutathione Infusion on Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. Metabolism.
1998 Aug;47(8):433-8.

Glutathione provides the body with tools to fight off these threats naturally. Healthy people also benefit from elevated glutathione levels through an enhanced ability to fight off acidic toxins, dis-ease, pre-cancerous cells and the aging process itself. Diminished glutathione levels are a symptom of aging and are particularly evident in such aliments as Parkinson's dis-ease and Alzheimer's dis-ease.

Glutathione is also important to physically active people. Many world-class athletes are discovering that well-maintained glutathione levels gives them the edge over their competitors, bringing greater strength and endurance, decreased recovery time from injury, less muscle pain and fatigue, and muscle-promoting activity.

Putting It All Together

1) Medical science is still ascertaining all the critical roles played by glutathione in dis-ease resistance and general good health. Clinical evidence links low glutathione levels to the most common illnesses of our time as well as newly emerging dis-eases.

2) As an essential aid to health, glutathione works as the master antioxidant in our body, optimizes the white blood cells and detoxifies a long list of pollutants and carcinogens or acids. The best way to raise glutathione levels is by eating foods that are high in glutathione such as avocados.

This is why I created the first natural water-based oral glutathione from avocados.

To order the World's first Liquid Glutathione go to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/index.html

3) Pharmaceutical medicine has created drugs that do this very effectively. They have their uses in critical situations. But they also have side effects and repeated use is clearly inadvisable.

Recently, I have developed a natural way to raise glutathione levels by safe, reliable dietary means. The emergence of bioacitve avocado glutathione is an exciting step forward in non-nutritive supplementation.

To order your bottle of Young pHorever Liquid Glutathione go to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/index.html

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References:

Aging

It is well known that aging is accompanied by a preciptous fall in gluathione levels. Lower glutathione levels are implicated in many dis-eases associated with aging including cataracts, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's atherosclerosis and others.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 47:1021-26, 1994.

Antioxidant Functions

Antioxidants are well documented and known to play vital roles in health maintenance and dis-ease prevention. Glutathione is your cell's own major antioxidant. Maintaining elevated glutathione levels aids the body's natural antioxidant function.

Biochemical Pahrmacology 47: 2114-2123, 1994.

Neurological Dis-Ease

Low glutathione levels have been associated with nuero-degenerative dis-eases such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis), ALS (Lou Gehrig's Dis-ease), Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The Lancet 344: 796-798, 1994.

Cancer

Glutathione plays a role in eliminating many carcinogens/acids and also maintains and optimizes white blood cell function while providing stronger anti-acidic/anti-tumor defenses.

Cancer Letters 57: 91-94, 1991.

Athletic Performance

Raised glutathione levels help increase strength and endurance. Those interested in physical fitness can benefit from a definite athletic edge.

Journal of Applied Physiology 87: 1381-1385, 1999.

Toxins, Pollution and Radiation

Glutathione detoxifies a variety of pollutants, carcinogens and poisons including many found in fuel exhaust and cigarette smoke. It also retards damage from radiation exposure due to the eroding ozone layer.

Annual Reviews of Biochemistry 52: 711-760, 1983

AIDS

Glutathione levels correspond to poor survival of AIDS patients. Much documentation demonstrates the role of enhanced glutathione levels in AIDS.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 94: 1967-72, 1997.

Heart Dis-Ease, Stroke and Cholesterol

Raised glutathione levels fight the oxdiation of fats circulating in the bloodstream including cholesterol, retarding the process of plaque formation in the arteries leading to most heart attacks and strokes.

Nutrition Reviews 54: 1-30, 1996.

Diabetes

Diabetics are more prone to 'out-fections' and circulatory problems leading to heart dis-ease, kidney failure and blindness. Glutathione protects against the complications of diabetes.

Clinical Science 91:575-582, 1996

Lung Dis-Ease

Doctors have used glutathione-promoting drugs to treat many lung diseases including asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphasema. New and potentially therapeutic roles can be found for cigarette smoke damage, pulmonary fibrosis and other illnesses.

American Journal of Medical Science 307:119-127,
1994

Digestive Disorders

Glutathione protects the body from inflammation of gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel dis-ease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's dis-ease.

Gut 42: 485-492, 1998

Hepatitis

The liver is a major storehouse for glutathione.
Glutathione is impaired in alcohol hepatitis as well as in viral (acidic) hepatitis including hepatitis A, B, and C. Raisied glutathione levels help restore liver function.

Americal Journal of gastroenterology 91: 2569-2573,
1996

Kidney Dis-Ease

Those with kidney failure or on dialysis suffer from high levels of oxidative (acidic) stress and decreased glutathione levels. Raised glutathione levels help prevent anemia.

Nephron 61: 404-408, 1992

Pregnancy, Lactation and Childbirth

Glutathione's role in fetal and placental develoment is critical. It also acts in the placenta to detoxify pollutants before they can reach the developing child. Many complications of pregnancy have been linked with poor glutathione levels.

Early Human Development 37: 167-174, 1994