Federal Court Rules Against FDA's Gag Stance on Qualified Vitamin Health Claims as Unconstitutional!

ANH-USA Wins Major Lawsuit on Qualified Health Claims

April 19, 2011

We took ’em to court—and we won! A federal court has found the FDA’s stance against vitamin health claims to be unconstitutional! On April 13, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia held that the FDA’s denial of two health claims—which dealt with the ability of antioxidant vitamins to reduce the risk of cancer—was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. 


ANH-USA, together with Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, sued the FDA for censoring antioxidant vitamin–cancer risk reduction claims after the agency denied multiple claims about the effectiveness of selenium and vitamins C and E in reducing cancer risk, and weakened and complicated other claims to the vanishing point. The plaintiffs were represented by Emord & Associates, a prominent constitutional law firm. You may recall that last October, Jonathan Emord successfully represented us against the FDA on the selenium claim.  


That win means that selenium supplements are now allowed to claim that “selenium may reduce the risk” of prostate, colon, bladder, or thyroid cancer.


“Qualified health claims” characterize the relationship between a substance and its ability to reduce the risk of a disease or health-related condition. They are permitted in relation to foods and supplements—a precedent established by the landmark decision of Pearson v. Shalala. Qualified health claims are a critical means toward communicating important health benefits of natural foods and dietary supplements otherwise forbidden by the FDA. Unfortunately, the FDA has consistently limited the information available to consumers about the real health benefits of food and supplements and routinely rejects all qualified health claims. This should come as no surprise, given that the FDA has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the European Commission for well over a decade agreeing on ridiculously onerous guidelines for scientific substantiation of health claims internationally in the Codex Alimentarius. These requirements have been carbon-copied into EU law and some time next year will ban thousands of claims that have informed European citizens for years. We must stop trans-Atlantic European regulatory creep at all costs, and our biggest defense remains our precious First Amendment.
Although the District Court for the District of Columbia upheld FDA censorship of six other claims, the court ruled that the FDA violated the First Amendment when it prohibited two vitamin health claims and stated that it would allow them in a form reworded by the agency:          


Vitamin C / gastric cancer claim: “Vitamin C may reduce the risk of gastric cancer.”

• FDA had prohibited the claim, stating that it would only allow the following language to be used: “One weak study and one study with inconsistent results suggest that vitamin C supplements may reduce the risk of gastric cancer. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly uncertain that vitamin C supplements reduce the risk of gastric cancer.”

Vitamin E / bladder cancer claim: “Vitamin E may reduce the risk of bladder cancer.”

• FDA had prohibited the claim, stating that it would only allow the following language to be used: “One small study suggests that vitamin E supplements may reduce the risk of bladder cancer. However, two small studies showed no reduction of risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that vitamin E supplements reduce the risk of bladder cancer.”

The court held FDA’s rewording of the two claims unconstitutional under the First Amendment. FDA “has replaced plaintiffs’ claims entirely,” explained the court, and the qualifying the claim so completely “effectively negates any relationship between cancer risk and vitamin intake. The FDA’s rewording . . . makes it difficult to tell what the original health claims are and appears to disavow the FDA’s own conclusions that those claims are supported by credible evidence.”     


The court reaffirmed Pearson v. Shalala against the FDA’s objections, holding that “where the evidence supporting a claim is inconclusive, the First Amendment permits the claim to be made; the FDA cannot require a disclaimer that simply swallows the claim.” The FDA has been ordered to revise its claim qualifications consistent with the court’s decision.
In a separate case, ANH-USA sued the FDA over good manufacturing practices (GMPs), operating requirements for dietary supplement manufacturers. Our concern has been that FDA is given authority to treat all GMP violations the same—which means that a paperwork violation carries the same penalties as selling food that harms the public: for both infractions, one is deemed to be selling “adulterated” products, with the same jail sentence. We said those regulations went beyond the statutory authority of the FDA to regulate dietary supplements—that they were unconstitutionally vague (in violation of the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause), arbitrary and capricious, and an abuse of the Administrative Procedure Act.     


The judge in our GMP case, unfortunately, gave deference to FDA and its authority to regulate. This is another reason why the language in the Leahy bill is so troubling: it raises the penalty for “adulterating” a product to ten years in jail. 


While we continue to make strides in the courtroom, the process is time-intensive, expensive, and—let’s face it—ridiculous. We should not have to sue the FDA to obtain the right to communicate every important piece of health-related information to consumers.     


We need to pass the Free Speech about Science Act, which was introduced in Congress earlier this month. The Act would allow for the communication of legitimate scientific information to a health-conscious public more easily. If you haven’t already done so, please contact your senators and representatives and tell them how important this bill is!  


Protect Your Rights to Know The Science Behind Nutritional Health Supplements, Don't Allow Conflicting Industry Interests Control Your Choice or Your Access to Vital Information About Your Health and Wellness.

Don't be Passive Leaving Others To Fight for Your Rights, You May Need Them Someday and Find Them Gone. Opposition Lawyers Will Fight As Long As There's Money to Be Had. Think of Big Tobacco and Stand Up For Freedom of Information While We Still Have The Chance.

Acid Alkaline PH Balance in Your Body Equates Health- Protection-Defense Quality of Life

 Explanation on ph balance and protection :


pH of the Human Body is Critical for Health

Originally titled: What in the Cell is Going on? - The Battle is over pH

by Dr. Gary Tunsky

As you quietly read these words, a whirl of activity is taking place in every cell of your body. Every second, unseen, unnoticed, millions of new cells are reborn in your body’s ceaseless program of self-generation. Since cells are the bricks and mortar from which all living tissue and organs are made, to understand degenerative and metabolic dis­ease you must become familiar with the miniature world of the cell and how they are able to perform baffling chemical transformations producing infinitely complex proteins, vitamins, hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, enzymes and metabolic energy called ATP.

A healthy body is determined by the health of each of its single cells. All disease originates at the cellular level and not at the organ or system level. Healthy cells create healthy tissues. Healthy tissues create healthy organs like the heart and lungs. Healthy organs create healthy systems like the endocrine system or the immune system and healthy systems make up a healthy body.

In the complex world of 75 trillion cells that make up your nation body, you are the President (the brain) that delegates the police force that protects and shields the cellular citizens from attack by foreign enemies; the cellular citizen’s work performance, transportation system, medical care, communication, food and water, and methods of toxic waste and trash removal. With your guidance and direction, the nation body will provide all the necessities for proper functioning as a whole. Your cell citizens come in all shapes, sizes and performance capabilities that manufacture an infinite variety of job tasks. Some reside in large cities that are your organs; others prefer to live in the outskirts in small towns away from the traffic - your fingernails for instance. But no matter where they reside, each cellular citizen has a purpose, an important duty for the good of the nation — your body.

So if the health of the cell is the answer, what constitutes a healthy cell? What you eat, drink, breathe and bathe in will either nourish the 75 trillion cells with oxygen, water, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids (EFAs), glucose and amino acids, or contaminate the cells by the slow poisoning of the bloodstream. You see, what you breathe, whether oxygen or environmental contaminants ends up in the bloodstream. What you eat, whether living organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes and seeds or refined, processed, foodless foods and toxic sugar laden drinks end up after digestion in the bloodstream The bloodstream is a flowing river to all the cells for nourishment and removal of acidic waste residues. So, is your bloodstream a river of life or a river of death and disease? For the Life of the flesh is in the blood..." (Lev. 17:11) 
Cells are multifaceted. Some are like miniature electrical generators like a lithium battery. They all respire like a lung to bring in intelligent nutrients and remove toxic waste products. Cells are also manufactunng plants that synthesize hormones, neurotransmitters, proteins and life force. These cellular engines also communicate like a wireless fiber-optic network 24 hours a day. Our finite minds couldn’t possibly fathom or consciously control the extraordinary complex tasks of manufacturing, storage, repair, communication, transportation, police, waste disposal, administration, food production, temperature control and pH balancing that goes on in our body daily to the normally metabolized acids from body tissues and maintain health and vitality.

A picture metaphor of how the cells communicate would be to envision all six billion people on this planet picking up a wireless phone simultaneously and having a phone conversation. Now picture everyone clicking three-way and having a three-way conversation. Then picture everyone in the world clicking on conference call with total conversation capability of 1,000 different people simultaneously. The question is, does your cell phone have good reception to transmit and receive messages. Your intestinal cell phone talks to the skin. Your spleen cell phone talks to the thymus. Your heart cell phone talks to the liver. All organs and systems work in unison. No organ or system works alone, just as no nutrient works alone. So what is the regulatory authority that controls cell processes? The answer is pH.

The pH of your tissues and body fluids affects the state of your health or inner cleanliness or filth. The closer the pH is to 7.35 - 7.45, the higher you’re level of health and well being and your ability to resist states of disease and the onset of symptomologies.

The pH scale is like a thermometer showing increases and decreases in the acid and alkaline content of these fluids. Deviations above or below a 7.35 -7.45 pH range in the blood can signal potentially serious and dangerous symptoms or states of disease. When the body can no longer effectively neutralize and eliminate the acids it relocates them within the body’s extra-cellular fluids and connective tissue cells directly compromising cellular integrity.

Indeed the entire metabolic process depends on a balanced pH. As more acid wastes back up, and the body slowly stews in its poisonous wastes, a chronically over acidic body pH corrodes body tissue, slowly eating into the 60,000 miles of our veins and arteries like acid eating into marble. This is what science calls hemorrhage. If left unchecked, it will interrupt all cellular activities and functions from the beating of your heart to the neuro firing of your brain. Over acidification interferes with life itself, leading to all sickness and “dis-ease.” Fundamentally, all regulatory mechanisms, including breathing, ingestion, circulation, hormone production, neurotransmitter release, etc., serve the purpose of balancing pH by removing cells. When you eat food, it ferments, just the way a banana on your counter ferments from a green, to yellow, to brown, to black. The banana rots from the inside out, not from the outside in. That is why humans can look healthy from the outside but are rotting and decaying from the inside.

This is what the medical community refers to as degenerative disease. These morbid microforms produce potent acidic by-products, which further compromise pH and create disruption in the body’s biosystem. This process can involve further morbidity through bacteria, yeast, fungus and mold with subsequent serious life-threatening symptomologies. I would say that disease comes from the inside out and that the terrain or environment of the body is the catalyst for the development and progression of all disease. This does not preclude the contributing factors from external circumstances such as trauma, airborne microforms, air pollution, radiation, chemicals and drugs. These all provide negative acidic impressions but “dis-ease” arises within the cell in response to these impressions.

 Sink Or Swim

Think of your body as a fish tank. Imagine the im­portance of maintaining the integrity of the internal flu­ids of the body that we swim in daily. Imagine the fish in this tank are your cells and organ systems bathing in the fluids, which transport food and remove waste. Now imagine I back up my car and put the tailpipe up against the air intake filter supplying oxygen to the wa­ter in the tank. The water becomes filled with carbon monoxide lowering the pH, creating and acidic envi­ronment and threatening the health of the (fish), (your cells and organs). What if! throw in too much food or the wrong kind of food and the fish are unable to con­sume or digest it all and the food starts to decompose and putrefy? Toxic waste chemicals build up as the food breaks down, creating more acidic by-products, altering the optimal pH. This is a small example of what we are doing to our internal fluids daily, some of us more than others. We are polluting our internal flu­ids with acidic toxins like nicotine, drugs, excessive in­take of acid forming foods, acidic beverages and social drugs such as coffee, carbonated beverages and alco­hol, which all compromise the delicate balance of pH that maintains homeostasis. Some of us have fish tanks (bodies) that are barely able to support life, yet we somehow manage to struggle from day to day man­ifesting severe imbalances until there is the inevitable crash and debilitating chronic, disturbing, and diseased symptomology to deal with a life-threatening illness in a hospital somewhere.

7 Bodily Responses That Fight To Maintain pH

All metabolic processes, including immunity, depend on a delicately balanced pH, which harmonizes electromagnetic energies. The body constantly fights to maintain a blood pH at around 7.35 -7.45 much like our internal thermostat that tries to maintain a 98.6-degree body temperature. There are seven homeostatic adaptation responses that fight to maintain this pH balance.

1) Using high pH bodily fluids such as water as a solvent to neutralize acid residues.

2) Pulling bicarbonate from the pancreas into the blood (an alkalizing agent). Bicarbonate ions are generated into the blood cells from carbon dioxide and diffuse into the plasma.

3) Protein buffers of glutathione, methionine, cystine, taurine, just to name a few, act as buffers intra-cellularly to bind or neutralize acids during cellular disorganization.

4.) Electrolyte buffers of sodium, calcium and potassium work in the blood, lymph, and extra-cellular and in­tracellular fluids to bind acids, which are then removed through the urine.

5.) Pulling stored calcium and magnesium from skeletal bones and teeth to neutralize blood acids.

6.) Filtration and elimination of acidic residues through the skin, urinary tract and respiration.

7.) Pushing blood acid residues and accumulated toxins into outer extremities as a storage bin away from vital organs. The wrist, joints, fingers, toes and skin are the major target areas to keep the toxins from saturating internal vital organs like the heart and lungs.

When all seven-protection phases are over­whelmed, the end result is accumulated acid residues at the cellular level, which drown out oxygen. With this acidic, low oxygen terrain, the microzyma’s (small ferments) trigger morbid microbe infiltration of fungus, molds and parasites, cancer cells, etc., where they seek the diseased acid terrain as food. (Editor's note: The term "microzyma" was created by Antoine Bechamp. These are small living components of cells and are described more fully later in this article ).

As these organisms feed, they produce waste just like you do. Their urine and feces are called mycotoxins, which are very poisonous to humans. Being acids themselves, mycotoxins greatly worsen the acidity caused by an acidic diet and toxic acid emotions. They are spilled into the blood as well as inside cells, where they cause free radical damage to the genetic material of the cell eventually causing cell death. The dead necrotic cells also spill out acid wastes. The blood poisoning results in more cell and tissue poisoning furthering the disturbance of the microzyma triggering morbid forms of yeast, molds and viruses, which disrupts body chemistry causing disease to the systems. So it’s a vicious cycle. One acid condition creates anothet Acidic diet coupled with toxic acid emotions creates an acid pH to the cells. This causes low oxygen levels (hypoxia), which is necessary for keeping back destructive anaerobic microbes and immuno-suppression is the result. Then medical doctors come in and treat the acid condidon with another acid (pharmaceuticals).

  

Balancing your pH levels could be the health answers you've been PRAYING for.

Is an acidic pH balance behind YOUR symptoms?

The answer could be "YES!"—if… 

• You suffer from high blood pressure, a failing heart, or other heart problems…
• You suffer from stiff, inflamed and painful joints, or you suffer from bone loss…
• Your doctor told you that your blood sugar levels are too high or too low…
• You find it more difficult to get a good night's sleep…
• You suffer from constant fatigue—or energy crashes after meals…
• You frequently endure cramping, constipation, heartburn, and other digestive problems…
• You sometimes feel depressed, negative and cranky…
• You notice that your ability to solve problems or to remember details fail you more often…
• You sometimes suffer from shortness of breath or other lung problems…
• You experience pain, numbness, or tingling in your hands, legs, or feet…
• Your skin and hair are aging more rapidly than they should…
• Your eyesight or hearing is fading at an alarming rate…
• You suffer from low sexual desire or performance problems…
• You contract infections more often with each passing year…

pH balance equals life,      High acidity equals disease

Your body is 70% water. For YOU to be healthy, all that water needs to have a healthy pH balance—not too acidic, not too alkaline.

The letters "pH" mean "potential of hydrogen" and simply measure how acidic or alkaline your body is on a scale of 0 to 14.

 You achieve optimum health when your body stays in a slightly alkaline environment—about 7.0 to 7.5 as measured by saliva.

                                                                  A pH of 7 is neutral…

  

A low pH reading of less than 7 means you're too acidic               
and that's DANGEROUS!

A high pH reading of 7 to 7.5 means your body is more alkaline—which is GOOD

For vibrant health, all that water—a whopping 70% of your body's weight—must be maintained at a proper pH balance—not too alkaline, not too acidic.

"pH" simply means "potential of Hydrogen" and is measured on a scale of 0 (100% acidic) to 14 (100% alkaline).

A healthy person with perfectly balanced pH has a reading of about 7.4 in their blood and about 7.25 in their tissues. That means every cell in your body should be slightly alkaline. That's good; because your cells need to stay slightly alkaline to survive—and the truth is, we all live—and we die—at the cellular level!
 
When you were born, your body was slightly alkaline and your pH levels were normal. But over the years, three facts of modern life cause your tissue pH readings to drop and become dangerously acidic:

1. The simple act of living produces enormous amounts of acid in your body: To do its all-important work, every cell in your body absorbs nutrients and excretes waste products that are extremely acidic. Some of that waste is actually used to produce energy. But over time, the unburned waste piles up inside you, making your body more acidic with each passing day.

2. The foods you love—even the healthy ones—flood your cells with acid: Yogurt, wheat germ, navy and pinto beans, plums, spinach, honey, brown rice, many types of fish and other healthy foods may be good for you—but they're also infamous for raising acid levels inside your cells.

Veritable tidal waves of acid are released inside you when you digest meat, eggs, milk, cheeses, white flour and sugar. And not surprisingly, beer, wine, distilled spirits, coffee, soft drinks and artificial sweeteners dump much more acid into your body.

3. The modern world pours even more acid into you every single day: Every day of your life, you have absorbed even more acid from the environment—from acid rain and other pollutants in your drinking water, and even from the polluted air you likely breathe. And if that isn't serious enough, most modern medicines and prescription drugs are notorious for producing acid in our bodies.

No wonder doctors find that the vast majority of Americans suffer from dangerous pH imbalances—and our bodies are growing more acidic with each passing day!

This deadly chain reaction could cost you your health or even your LIFE!

If you're one of the tens-of-millions of Americans whose pH balance is too acidic, your body is working hard to neutralize acid, and bring you into balance.

This isn't hard to fix if you understand what you take internally to balance out acidity. Whether food source, supplemental ingredient or liquid, you can balance your PH simply.  Don't fall for the ads that claim they have the secret to balancing your body pH. Natural substances are not exclusive, nor can they be patented as they are available in nature. Formulations generally combine a few of these substances in a secret combination which make it proprietary, yet they're nothing more than ingredients you can get for far cheaper individually and generally one or two will work just as well as the concoctions although the product may be good.

Chlorophyll or most any green plant, but primarily the chlorella, spirulina, chlorophyll algae type plant will alkalinize your system.

Baking soda is extremely alkalinizing, even in small amounts with purified water which is why it was an old school remedy for acid indigestion.  I've read different schools of thought in light of the current radiation contamination we're living with.  I've tried it once to see how it worked, used litmus paper and found it delivered as expected but I admittedly love all the acidic foods so maybe it was right for me. It may be too much for others.  Do your homework, take responsibility for your decisions and health, we've handed it over to others for too long.  Decide for yourself remembering that it's used in baking bread, so.. Be careful about taking too much or taking it with a full stomach because of the bubbling and gas the reaction of acid with alkaline makes. Think of junior high school science project with the plaster volcano, baking soda in the top you add a capful of vinegar to.. it burbles and foams up and the 'lava' overflows ..makes a fun project but not so much in your stomach. I've included two opinions of doctors who advocate it's usefulness, read them and there's also plenty on the web. Primarily the caution seems to be that it's super effective in detoxing some pretty nasty stuff so you want to manage how fast you offload the toxins.

Iodine therapy is the same way and I've gone through that using the same supplements being recommended for protection from radiation poisoning, so all in all, this entails natural unprocessed salt to pull the toxins out, which you drink in water.  The rest are super antioxidants to mop up the free radical damage of radiation or the process of living and working out. Magnesium internally and with Epsom salt baths are remarkable for helping take off the detox symptoms. Selenium, Vitamin C. It really works well.

Dr. Mark Sircus is an authority on both magnesium and bicarbonat of soda, aka baking soda for neutralizing acidic ph among other wonderful purposes. Magnesium may be one of the singlemost important minerals we can get into our bodies.  

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/index/Articles/Sircus/Sodium_Bicarbonate

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Sodium Bicarbonate

Lessons in Cancer and General pH Management by International Medical Veritas Association

More works by Dr. Mark Sircus Ac. OMD at http://imva.info

Most of us are going to be surprised to find out that there is an oncologist in Rome Italy, Dr. Tullio Simoncini, destroying cancer tumors with sodium bicarbonate.[i] Sodium bicarbonate is safe, extremely inexpensive and unstoppably effective when it comes to cancer tissues. It’s an irresistible chemical, cyanide to cancer cells for it hits the cancer cells with a shock wave of alkalinity, which allows much more oxygen into the cancer cells than they can tolerate. Cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen. Sodium bicarbonate is, for all intent and purposes, an instant killer of tumors. Full treatment takes only days, as does another cancer treatment that heats the cancer cells with laser generated heat. (At bottom see combining pH shift with heat.)

The extracellular (interstitial) pH (pHe) of solid tumours is significantly more acidic compared to normal tissues. [ii]

Case one: A patient diagnosed with pulmonary neoplasm of the lung, underwent treatment with sodium bicarbonate, before submitting to surgery to remove part of the lung. Treatment consisted of sodium bicarbonate administered orally, by aerosol, and IV. After first treatment reduction of nodules and absorption was evident, and after 8 months was no longer visible at all. Treatments also reduced size of the liver and results were confirmed by both X-ray and CAT scan. 

Studies have shown how manipulation of tumour pH with sodium bicarbonate enhances some forms of chemotherapy.[iii] Proteins can be modified both in vivo and in vitro by increases in acidity. In fact pH is the regulatory authority that controls most cellular processes. The pH balance of the human bloodstream is recognized by medical physiology texts as one of the most important biochemical balances in all of human body chemistry. pH is the acronym for "Potential Hydrogen". In definition, it is the degree of concentration of hydrogen ions in a substance or solution. It is measured on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14. Higher numbers mean a substance is more alkaline in nature and there is a greater potential for absorbing more hydrogen ions. Lower numbers indicate more acidity with less potential for absorbing hydrogen ions.

pH is very important because pH controls the speed of our body's biochemical reactions. It does this by controlling the speed of enzyme activity as well as the speed that electricity moves through our body. The higher (more alkaline) the pH of a substance or solution, the more electrical resistance that substance or solution holds. Therefore, electricity travels slower with higher pH. If we say something has an acid pH, we are saying it is hot and fast. Alkaline pH on the other hand, biochemically speaking, is slow and cool.

Cancer tissues have a much higher concentration of toxic chemicals, pesticides, etc then do healthy tissues.

In 1973, a study conducted by the Department of Occupational Health at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem found that when cancerous breast tissue is compared with non-cancerous tissue from elsewhere in the same woman's body, the concentration of toxic chemicals such as DDT and PCBs was "much increased in the malignant tissue compared to the normal breast and adjacent adipose tissue."[iv] This should say something to the oncologists of the world about chemical etiologies that are going undiagnosed and untreated.

Part of any successful cancer treatment includes chelation and detoxification of heavy metals and a host of toxic chemicals, which are all invading our bodies’ everyday. It is literally raining mercury, uranium contamination is increasing, lead we are discovering is even more toxic than anyone ever believed and is even in the bread that we eat, arsenic is in our chicken, the government still wants you to get your yearly mercury flu shot, dentists of course are still using hundreds of tons of mercury exposing patients to internalized toxic waste dumps (mercury vapors from hell), fluoride is still put in the water and chlorine is breathed in most showers. This just covers a small slice of the toxic disaster that is the hallmark of life in the 21st century. But oncologists have just not been able to understand that cancer patients are suffering from poisoning on a massive scale with all the chemicals scientists have already established cause cancer.
 
The IMVA recommends alkaline foods and sodium bicarbonate so that the pH of the blood remains high, which in turn means that the blood is capable of carrying more oxygen. This in turn keeps every cell in the body at peak efficiency and helps the cell eliminate waste products. Detoxification and chelation will proceed more easily and safely under slightly alkaline conditions. Increased urinary pH reduces oxidative injury in the kidney so it behooves us to work clinically with bicarbonate.
 
Patients receiving sodium bicarbonate achieved urine pHs of 6.5 as opposed to 5.6 with those receiving sodium chloride. This alkalinization is theorized to have a protective effect against the formation of free-radicals that may cause nephropathy.[v]

Dr. Michael Metro

Body pH level changes are intense in the profundity of their biological effects. Even genes directly experience external pH. pH differentially regulates a large number of proteins. Increased oxidative stress, which correlates almost exponentially with pH changes into the acidic, is especially dangerous to the mitochondria, which suffer the greatest under oxidative duress. Epigenetics, which may now have begun eclipsing traditional genetics, commonly describes how factors such as diet and smoking, rather than inheritance influence how genes behave.
 
The great advantage of knowing the prime cause of a disease is that it can then be attacked logically and over a broad front.

Dr. Otto Warburg

Dr. Otto Warburg, two times Nobel Prize winner, stated in his book, The Metabolism of Tumors that the primary cause of cancer was the replacement of oxygen in the respiratory cell chemistry by the fermentation of sugar. The growth of cancer cells is initiated by a fermentation process, which can be triggered only in the absence of oxygen at the cell level. What Warburg was describing was a classic picture of acidic conditions. Just like overworked muscle cells manufacture lactic acid by-products as waste, cancerous cells spill lactic acid and other acidic compounds causing acid pH.
 

What Can You Do To Protect Yourself From the Fallout- Symptoms of Radiation Poisoning

I found a report on Chernobyl and thought it may be the best information to determine what we may be dealing with since we can't seem to get rational answers or those that are trustworthy. 
The link below will open the entire report and conclusions but for speed I'm copying excerpts following the link for brevity.
Chernobyl Accident and its Consequences
 Key Facts



The April 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the product of a severely flawed reactor design. In addition, serious mistakes were made by the plant operators, who violated procedures intended to ensure safe operation of the plant.

The accident destroyed the reactor in Unit 4, killed 31 people (one immediately and 30 within three months) and contaminated large areas of Belarus (formerly Byelorussia), Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The Chernobyl accident was a unique event, on a scale by itself. It was the only time in the history of commercial nuclear electricity generation that radiation-related fatalities occurred.

Epidemiological studies have been hampered in the former Soviet Union by a lack of funds, an infrastructure with little or no experience in chronic disease epidemiology, poor communication facilities and an immediate public health problem with many dimensions. Emphasis has been placed on screening rather than on well-designed epidemiological studies. International efforts to organize epidemiological studies have been slowed by some of the same factors, especially the lack of a suitable scientific infrastructure.

An increased incidence of thyroid cancer among children in areas of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia affected by the Chernobyl accident has been firmly established as a result of screening programs and, in the case of Belarus, an established cancer registry. The findings of most epidemiological studies must be considered interim, say experts, as analysis of the health effects of the accident is an ongoing process.

The activities undertaken by Belarus and Ukraine in response to the accident--remediation of the environment, evacuation and resettlement, development of noncontaminated food sources and food distribution channels, and public health measures--have overburdened the governments of those countries. International agencies and foreign governments have provided extensive logistic and humanitarian assistance. In addition, the work of the European Commission and World Health Organization in strengthening the epidemiological research infrastructure in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is laying the basis for major advances in these countries' ability to carry out epidemiological studies of all kinds.

The Accident: What Happened

The RBMK design used at Chernobyl has a "positive void coefficient." This means the nuclear chain reaction and power output increases when cooling water is lost. The large value of the "positive void coefficient" caused the uncontrollable power surge that led to Chernobyl's destruction. To make matters worse, the Soviet operators had disengaged several safety and cooling systems and taken other unauthorized actions during a test of electrical equipment. This made the Chernobyl unit even more vulnerable to the uncontrollable power surge. The power surge and chemical explosions that followed were so powerful that they lifted the 1,000-metric-ton cover off the top of the reactor.


The Chernobyl plant did not have the massive containment structure common to most nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world. Without this protection, radioactive material escaped to the environment. However, because the estimated energy released by the explosions was greater than most containment designs could withstand, it is highly unlikely that a containment structure could have prevented the release of radioactive material at Chernobyl. The crippled Chernobyl reactor is now enclosed in a hurriedly constructed concrete sarcophagus, which is growing weaker over time. The Ukrainian government is considering the feasibility of building a second structure over the sarcophagus.

Contamination, Exposures, Evacuations

Soviet scientists have reported that the Chernobyl Unit 4 reactor contained about 190 metric tons of uranium dioxide fuel and fission products. Estimates of the amount of this material that escaped range from 13 percent to 30 percent.

Contamination from the Chernobyl accident was not evenly spread across the surrounding countryside, but scattered irregularly depending on weather conditions. Reports from Soviet and Western scientists indicate that Belarus received about 60 percent of the contamination that fell on the former Soviet Union. But a large area in the Russian Federation south of Bryansk was also contaminated, as were parts of northwestern Ukraine.


Short-Term Impact. Workers involved in the recovery and cleanup after the accident received high doses of radiation. In most cases, these workers were not equipped with individual dosimeters to measure the amount of radiation received, so experts can only estimate their doses. Also, dosimetric procedures varied. Some workers are thought to have better estimated doses than others. According to Soviet estimates, between 300,000 and 600,000 people were involved in the cleanup of the 30-kilometer evacuation zone around the reactor, but many of them entered the zone two years after the accident. (Estimates of the number of "liquidators"--workers brought into the area for accident management and recovery work--vary; the World Health Organization, for example, puts the figure at about 800,000.) In the first year after the accident, the number of cleanup workers in the zone was estimated to be 211,000, and these workers received an estimated average dose of 165 millisievert (16.5 rem).


Some children in the contaminated areas were exposed to high thyroid doses (up to 5,000 rad) because of an intake of radioiodine, a relatively short-lived isotope, from contaminated local milk. Several studies have found that the incidence of thyroid cancer among children in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia has risen sharply (see World Health Organization, page 154; Ivanov, Tsyb Studies, page 159; European Commission Program, page 159; Ukrainian Studies, page 160; and Swiss-Belarussian Paper, page 162). The childhood thyroid cancers that have appeared are of a large and aggressive type, and if detected early, can be treated. Treatment entails surgery followed by iodine-131 therapy for any metastases. To date, such treatment appears to have been successful in all diagnosed cases.

Longer-Term Impact. Right after the accident, the main health concern involved radioiodine, with a half-life of eight days. Today, in addition to radioiodine, there is concern about contamination of the soil with cesium-137, which has a half-life of about 30 years.

According to reports from Soviet scientists at the First International Conference on the Biological and Radiological Aspects of the Chernobyl Accident (September 1990), fallout levels in the 10-kilometer zone around the plant were as high as 130,000 curies per square kilometer. The so-called "red forest" of pine trees killed by heavy radioactive fallout lies within the 10-kilometer zone.

Soviet authorities started evacuating people from the area around Chernobyl within 36 hours of the accident. By May 1986, about a month later, all those living within a 30-kilometer (18-mile) radius of the plant--about 116,000 people--had been relocated.

According to reports from Soviet scientists, 28,000 square kilometers (10,811 sq.mi.) were contaminated by cesium-137 to levels greater than five curies per square kilometer. Roughly 830,000 people lived in this area. About 10,500 square kilometers (4,054 sq.mi.) were contaminated by cesium-137 to levels greater than 15 curies per square kilometer. Of this total, roughly 7,000 sq.km. (2,703 sq.mi.) lie in Belarus, 2,000 sq.km. (772 sq.mi.) in the Russian Federation and 1,500 sq.km. (579 sq.mi.) in Ukraine. About 250,000 people lived in this area. These reported data were corroborated by the International Chernobyl Project.

~snip~

World Health Organization. In 1992, a team of medical specialists under the auspices of the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office in Europe visited Minsk to study reports of an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer in Belarus. The team examined 11 children in Belarus who had been operated on for thyroid cancer and were hospitalized for treatment or evaluation. The team also studied the histological slides of 104 children who had been diagnosed since January 1989 with thyroid cancer, and examined data on the incidence of thyroid cancer in Belarus.

In a letter on its work published in the British science magazine Nature in September 1992, the team said that the experience in Belarus suggested that the consequences to the human thyroid of radioactive fallout are much greater than previously thought. The team concluded, "The accident and its impact on Belarus poses a challenge to the international community to help...in promoting research for the understanding of the basic processes underlying the phenomenon. Understanding the consequences of Chernobyl will provide an important basis for preventive action in future."

he same issue of Nature carried a letter from medical authorities in Belarus, who reported a "great increase" in cases of thyroid cancer among children, with the greatest increase in the Gomel region, where fallout from Chernobyl was highest. "We believe that the only realistic explanation for the increase...is that it is the direct consequence of the accident at Chernobyl," wrote the authors Vasiliy Kazakov, Yevgeniy Demidchik and Larisa Astakhova.

~snip~
The International Program on the Health Effects of the Chernobyl Accident (IPHECA), established under the auspices of WHO in 1991, was a cooperative effort involving Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, WHO and several other countries and organizations. The program's aim was to quantify the effects of the Chernobyl accident on the population, provide recommendations for treatment, and devise more effective programs for managing such accidents in the future.

Under the program, five pilot projects were launched: on thyroid disease, hematologic disease, brain damage in utero, management of epidemiological studies, and oral health (in Belarus). The pilot thyroid project, which ran for three years, screened 70,000 children from the contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to determine the nature of any short-term health effects. The screening identified a very large increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer in the affected countries, according to WHO.

These findings of increased childhood thyroid cancer were reviewed by an international scientific panel and published in a letter in the March 25, 1995, issue of the British Medical Journal. The letter, written by scientists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and WHO, reported an increased incidence of childhood thyroid cancer between 1991 and 1994 of 96.4 per million in the Gomel region of Belarus, 11.5 per million in five regions in the north of Ukraine, and 10 per million in Russia's Bryansk and Kaluga regions. The authors concluded: "It is notable that in the regions most affected about 2.3 million children were resident at the time of the accident. This led to unprecedented exposure of a population to ionising radiation, which demands an international response."

~snip~

In 1992, the European Commission published a report by a panel of experts on childhood thyroid cancer. According to the panel, which documented its findings on the occurrence of childhood thyroid cancer in Belarus and northern Ukraine, there was a true increase in the incidence of this cancer in areas around Chernobyl, and intensive screening programs were unlikely to have accounted for much of the increase. The panel concluded that radioactive iodine was the most likely cause of the increase. The panel also noted that affected children were not receiving optimum treatment, despite the efforts of medical authorities in Belarus and Ukraine, because of the lack of adequate surgical and therapeutic facilities.

In 1994, the European Commission's European Office for Humanitarian Aid launched a project to supply specialist equipment and medicines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of children with thyroid cancer in Belarus and Ukraine.

The work sponsored by the European Commission, as well as by the World Health Organization, is helping to provide a foundation for advances in the capability of Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian researchers to carry out epidemiological studies of all kinds. This assistance includes training in radiation epidemiology and cancer registration, translation of a book on epidemiology into Russian, and agreement on the development of a common data format between Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The expertise that Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian researchers develop is also likely to prove useful in conducting future clinical trials of therapy.

Norwegian Study. In 1994, the Norwegian Radiation Protection Institute released the results of a study of the effects of the Chernobyl accident on Norway's ecosystem. According to the institute, radioactive cesium from the accident could remain in Norway's ecosystem for 10-20 years. Norwegian authorities reportedly estimate that 6-7 percent of the cesium released from Chernobyl came down in Norway.

Ukrainian Studies. Anatoliy Prisyazhiuk of the Ukrainian Scientific Center for Radiation Medicine reported data in 1994--published by the center--on the incidence of childhood leukemia, thyroid cancer and other cancers in three districts within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Chernobyl plant. According to the center, data for the period from 1981 to 1993 show a decline in the incidence rate for leukemia in children 10 to 14 years old, but an increase in the incidence rate for thyroid cancer in this age group. The three Ukrainian districts--Polesskoye, Nordichiy and Ovruch--were not evacuated after the accident, but according to soil testing they received the heaviest contamination in Ukraine outside the 30-kilometer (18-mile) zone around the Chernobyl plant.

In a letter published in a June 1995 issue of Nature, Ukrainian and U.K. researchers reported on the increased incidence of childhood thyroid cancer in Ukraine. The authors--Likhtarev, Sobolev and Kairo of the Scientific Center for Radiation Medicine, Tronko, Bogdanova, Oleinic and Epshtein of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Beral of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford--concluded that "the pattern of thyroid cancer in relation to thyroid dose from 131I suggests that the increase in thyroid cancer in childhood reported in the Ukraine is likely to be a direct consequence of the accident at Chernobyl."

French-Russian Study. France's Institute of Nuclear Protection and Safety (IPSN) and the St. Petersburg Center for Ecological Medicine in Russia agreed in October 1994 to conduct a joint study of the so-called liquidators--the civilians and military personnel who participated in the Chernobyl accident cleanup. The two organizations will carry out research in biological dosimetry, which permits an estimation of the dose received by an individual by examining damage to his organism, and in digestive radiobiology, which entails the study of the effects of ionizing radiation on the digestive system.

The official Russian register lists more than 160,000 liquidators, most of whom worked within the 30-kilometer "forbidden zone" in the first two years after the accident and received an estimated average radiation dose of 165 millisievert (16.5 rem).

The St. Petersburg center has a Chernobyl registry with data on about 75,000 liquidators, and is studying about 14,000 of them. Aleksey Nikiforov, director of the center, is reported as saying that the liquidators being treated at the center are ill more often than the general population, suffer from old-age diseases such as arteriosclerosis before the age of 45, and have a much higher incidence of psychological disorders. In addition, the center's doctors are reportedly seeing an increase in solid tumors in the lung, bronchial tubes and stomach.

U.S. Studies. Under an agreement signed between the United States and the U.S.S.R. in 1988, the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been working with the governments of Belarus and Ukraine to prepare scientific protocols for thyroid studies in those two countries, and for leukemia studies in Ukraine. To support this work, the U.S. government has sent equipment and supplies to Belarus, and plans to send them to Ukraine. NCI is providing scientific, technical and medical expertise to Belarus and Ukraine for all aspects of the studies. In addition, Belarus and Ukraine will provide candidates for professional training in the United States.

The NCI thyroid studies are long-term (10-20 years or more) and involve the evaluation and medical follow-up of about 15,000 people in Belarus and 70,000 people in Ukraine who were children at the time of the Chernobyl accident.

In May 1994, Belarus and the United States agreed on a scientific protocol for the study of thyroid cancer and other thyroid disease among approximately 15,000 children. In July 1995, Ukraine and the United States agreed on a scientific protocol for the study of thyroid disease, especially cancer, among approximately 70,000 children who lived in areas of Ukraine heavily contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. In both countries, children up to 18 years of age, and those in utero, at the time of the accident will be examined for thyroid disease at least every two years. Some 70,000 children had their thyroids measured for radioactivity during the first few weeks following the accident. The studies, which will be funded by the U.S. government, seek to quantify the thyroid cancer risk due to exposure to radioiodine, particularly iodine-131, and the role of potential cofactors, especially dietary iodine deficiency.

The NCI leukemia studies in Ukraine will involve some of the approximately 100,000 Ukrainian clean-up workers ("liquidators") who worked in the Chernobyl area in 1986 and 1987. Using physical and biological dosimetry techniques to reconstruct bone-marrow doses, researchers will study the incidence of leukemia and lymphoma over the next 10-20 years.

In another U.S. study, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington, in collaboration with researchers from Russia, will explore the feasibility of physical dose reconstruction and biologic dose estimation; the collection, transportation and storage of blood; and the feasibility of identifying, locating and examining groups of exposed individuals.


Swiss-Belarussian Paper. According to a study published in 1994 by Theodor Abelin of the University of Berne in Switzerland and Belarussian researchers, the incidence of thyroid cancer in children up to 15 years of age in Belarus had risen from less than 0.1 per 100,000 children in 1986 to 2.6 per 100,000 in 1992. The authors' analysis of geographic variation in thyroid cancer in Belarus shows a reasonable correlation with presumptive patterns of radioiodine fallout.

The Health Impact: Some Cautionary Notes

There is no doubt that the Chernobyl accident caused enormous dislocation, stress and anxiety among the people living in the areas touched by the fallout. There is also evidence that it has caused an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer among children. But radioactive contamination cannot be blamed for all the illnesses reported. Other factors must be considered:

Much of the affected population had never received modern, adequate health care. The extensive medical surveillance given these people since the accident may be uncovering medical problems and conditions that have always existed.

Medical data frequently do not exist for the period before the accident in 1986. As a result, it is difficult to measure the health impact of the Chernobyl accident, because there are often no baseline data to compare with post-accident statistics.

Parts of the affected region--particularly Belarus--are known to be iodine-poor areas with a high incidence of goiters (a thyroid abnormality). As a result, it is not possible to attribute all thyroid-related problems to radioiodine released during the accident.

The latency period for solid cancers--other than leukemia and thyroid cancer--to develop is usually at least 10 years. In spite of lurid reports of thousands of new cancer cases since the accident, there has not been sufficient time to determine the extent of Chernobyl-related cancers. However, several studies have found a sharp increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer among children in contaminated areas of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The thyroid cancer latent period is likely to be shorter in children (5-10 years) than in adults (10-15 years).

Medical personnel in the region are generally not well trained in radiation science. Consequently, they attribute many illnesses to radiation, when radiation is not the cause.

There has been an increase--based on historic rates--in cases of high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, anemia and various pulmonary disorders since the accident. Although often attributed to radiation, these illnesses are more likely a result of the tremendous stress imposed on the region's population. Such stress appears to have been exacerbated by scientifically unfounded reports of the health effects of the accident. Also contributing to the rise in stress-related illnesses may be the widespread notion among the affected population that alcohol is an effective antidote to the effects of radiation. Some Western researchers say they have met cleanup workers who believe that death is imminent. This sense of doom, coupled with alcoholism and drug abuse among these workers, may be a factor in the reportedly high suicide rate for this group.

In the longer term, the radiation doses from the accident may lead to an increase in cancers and cancer deaths. The ability to detect future excess cancers, however, will depend on whether groups that received the highest doses and those that received lower doses can be identified and followed up satisfactorily. Unless the mortality registries (and the registries of cancer incidence) and the dose reconstruction exercises are improved substantially, a good correlation between disease and dose is not likely to be achieved.


December 1995

For the entire report read contents here http://web.archive.org/web/20080210172017/http://www.insc.anl.gov/neisb/neisb4/NEISB_3.3.A1.1.html
Read more on radiation sickness symptoms and protective measures

New Info For Protection Against Radiation - Antioxidants May Prevent DNA Damage from Nuclear Meltdown Fallout

I notice certain sources on the web stirring up panic when it's best to be aware, take precautionary measures you are able to such as Iodine which hopefully you've been able to locate by now and get it into your system, then the other protectants listed like Bentonite Clay, Cilantro, Antioxidant .. there's a lot of those but simple Vitamin C is easy to find, N-Acetyl Cysteine, MSM, Baking Soda and Spirilina, Chlorella which all are said to alkalinize your ph making your body less acidic and therefore not a fertile place for disease, magnesium, selenium, and other things listed from the posts by doctor's written over the past weeks. All of which are good for your health anyway, so read up and start to protect yourself and worry isn't going to change anything for the best.

Sending positive energy, prayer or intention can't hurt, it's energy and as we are finding out, energy moves, so maybe we don't know everything about positive energy and intention yet, no harm in sending it to where it's truly needed now.

Shame on the fear stirrers.... is it really necessary when people are already losing it just for the sake of web traffic? Man... that's low.
Read on for some hopeful news..



Contact: Ellen Acconcia
eacconcia@sirweb.org
703-460-5582
Society of Interventional Radiology

Antioxidant formula prior to radiation exposure may prevent DNA injury

Small trial finds that pre-administering a mixture easily absorbed into body is safe for adults, may provide protection against cell damage, say interventional radiologists

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 29, 2011)—A unique formulation of antioxidants taken orally before imaging with ionizing radiation minimizes cell damage, noted researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 36th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Ill. In what the researchers say is the first clinical trial of its kind, as much as a 50 percent reduction in DNA injury was observed after administering the formula prior to CT scans.
"In our initial small study, we found that pre-administering to patients a proprietary antioxidant formulation resulted in a notable dose-dependent reduction in DNA injury," said Kieran J. Murphy, M.D., FSIR, professor and vice chair, director of research and deputy chief of radiology at the University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. "This could play an important role in protecting adults and children who require imaging or a screening study," he added.
"Pre-administering this formula before a medical imaging exam may be one of the most important tools to provide radioprotection and especially important for patients in the getting CT scans," said Murphy. The study's data support the theory about a protective effect during these kinds of exposure, he explained.
"There is currently a great deal of controversy in determining the cancer risks associated with medical imaging exams. Although imaging techniques, such as CT scans and mammograms, provide crucial and often life-saving information to doctors and patients, they work by irradiating people with X-rays, and there is some evidence that these can, in the long run, cause cancer," explained Murphy. The interventional radiologist researchers responded to this patient need by exploring a way to protect individuals from these potentially harmful effects. This may be of importance to interventional and diagnostic radiologists and X-ray technologists who have occupational exposure also.
The small study showed that even though many antioxidants are poorly absorbed by the body, one particular mixture was effective in protecting against the specific type of injury caused by medical imaging exams. People are 70 percent water, and X-rays collide with water molecules to produce free radicals (groups of atoms with an unpaired number of electrons that are dangerous when they react with cellular components, causing damage and even cell death) that can go on to do damage by direct ionization of DNA and other cellular targets, noted Murphy. The research team evaluated whether a special combination of antioxidants have an ability to neutralize these free radicals before they can do damage.
"Our intent was to develop an effective proprietary formula of antioxidants to be taken orally prior to exposure that can protect a patient's DNA against free radical mediated radiation injury, and we have applied to patent this formulation and a specific dose strategy," said Murphy.
The experiments measured DNA damage as a surrogate marker for DNA injury. Blood was drawn from two study volunteers in duplicate, creating four individual tests per data point. DNA strand breaks are repaired by a big protein complex that binds to the site of the damage. The researchers labeled one of the proteins with a fluorescent tag. Then, under a powerful 3-D microscope, the DNA is examined for signs of repair. The more repair that is seen, the more DNA damage must have been done by the CT scan to initiate that repair. The experiments clearly showed a reduction of DNA repair in the treatment group, which means that there was less DNA injury as a result of pre-administering the antioxidant mixture, said Murphy.
The researchers concede that this is a small study and that a lot more research needs to be done; however, these initial results point toward a positive future for this kind of treatment. The group says the next step is a clinical trial in Toronto.

###

More information about the Society of Interventional Radiology, interventional radiologists and minimally invasive treatments for many conditions can be found online at www.SIRweb.org. Interventional radiology is one of the modern medicine's most dynamic fields, known for pioneering best practices in performing minimally invasive procedures. Interventional radiologists continue to set the standards for patient safety and the delivery of quality care.
Poster 266: "Antioxidants Taken Orally Prior to Radiation Exposure Can Prevent DNA Injury at CT Doses of Ionizing Radiation," J. Barfett; Stephanie Spieth, K. J. Murphy and D. J. Mikulis; all from the department of medical imaging, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, SIR 36th Annual Scientific Meeting March 26󈞋, Chicago, Ill. This abstract can be found at www.SIRmeeting.org.
About the Society of Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.
Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.
The Society of Interventional Radiology is holding its 36th Annual Scientific Meeting March 26󈞋, 2011, in Chicago, Ill. The theme of the meeting is "IR Rising: Leading Image Guided Medicine," the theme chosen to reflect the optimism and pride the IR community feels as IR continues to revolutionize modern medicine.

Get Iodine Into Your Body NOW,- Dr.Gives Wake Up Call On Radiation -

For those of you who haven't taken iodine and are reading this, you may want to get some bentonite clay to detox anything that's managed to get into your body. It's relatively inexpensive but according to what I've read one teaspoon will absorb 900 sq ft of toxins such as herbicides, heavy metals and I've read that it includes radioactive iodine and  other poison from nuclear fallout. I bought a bottle from a local health food store and saw nascent iodine for sale as well as potassium iodide, so many vendors are already stocked to take advantage of the crisis. Go get it, the alternative isn't pretty. 


Monday, March 28, 2011


Japanese Radiation Update 6: Worsening Crises

The news from Japan gets worse and worse. Now, reports show radioactive iodine has been found in rainwater in Massachusetts. Similar findings have occurred in California, Washington state and Pennsylvania. The bad news from Japan makes it clear that there will be more radiation coming our way.

"The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term elevation in radiation," said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach (www.msn.com). I don't know about you, but this statement does not reassure me.

For those low in iodine, this is a problem. Unfortunately, that is a lot of Americans. This is not a call to panic. I do not believe that people will get sick and die from the exposure to this amount of radiation. However, there is no doubt that individuals who are iodine deficient will take up this radioactive iodine in larger amounts as compared to someone who is iodine sufficient.

As I have said in previous blog posts, now is the time to have your iodine checked and work with someone knowledgeable about iodine. Also, keep in mind that the average Japanese ingests approximately 12mg/day of iodine.

My clinical experience has shown this dose safe for the vast majority of people. One Iodoral (Optimox) or Iodozyme HP (Biotics) tablet contains 12.5mg of iodine. Two drops of Lugol's solution equals 12.5mg of iodine. This amount of iodine will result in a 95% decrease in radioactive iodine uptake by the thyroid gland. Children need to be dosed down for their size.

Is iodine safe for everyone to take? As with any substance, there can be adverse effects. The best results with iodine occur when it is used in a comprehensive holistic treatment regimen. More information can be found in my book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It.

One last thought. This needs to be your wakeup call. If you are already taking iodine, you have nothing to worry about. It is important to maintain adequate iodine levels not only to achieve your optimal health but to also be prepared for problems like the Japanese disaster.

I have been asked many questions about pets. Pets should be our concern as they are outside and closer to the ground. My friend and holistic veterinarian Dr. John Simon said that pets can take iodine. He was not sure of the dosing but thought that they could take amounts similar to what I posted for children (0.08mg/pound). I would be open to any other advice about dosing iodine in pets.

I will keep abreast of the situation and follow up with further blog posts

Statin Drug Use Linked to Type 2 Diabetes-

I read this article today with shock. I'd been under the belief that statin drugs were a last resort for the medical response dealing with out of control cholesterol levels. To learn now that not only are these drugs prescribed way too often and easily, they have very bad side effects that seriously endanger the health of those using them, unaware of how it's affecting their blood sugar levels. 


Being a very active promoter of the Bioslife Slim product, as you may have noticed, I'm happy to say that this article further validates the need for Slim as one of the mechanisms of this fantastic natural product is that it prevents the reuptake of cholesterol from the liver and does some very sophisticated things by simply blocking and restricting the speed and amount of absorption and release of sugar, starches and fats from your meals into the blood stream.  By restricting the culprits, you get to eat what you like but reduce the effects of sugar/starch and fats in your body. The insulin response is less because there's less sugar triggering it into your system. When insulin is regulated you're able to access the stored fat on your body for fuel, creating a fat burning zone.
See the 4-4-12 video to the right for more details on how it works Or check out the info at http://www.breakthru4life.com/

If you are on statin drugs or know anyone who is, it's imperative they get informed and take action for the sake of their health long term.

The Hidden Diabetes Link No One is Telling You About...

By Suzy Cohen, R.Ph.



Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, killing one in five adults, and doctors are very quick to prescribe statins. In fact, statin drug sales rank in the billions each year globally.

These drugs are so pervasive that they are no longer just indicated for hypercholesterolemia, they are also being prescribed for elevations in C reactive protein, and are promoted for kids as young as eight years old.

Heart disease is so pervasive that some have boldly suggested that we should put statins in our water supply as some kind of protection.


This is very disturbing.



Do You Really Need a Statin Drug?

By far, statin drugs are the most popular cholesterol-lowering drugs available today. They work in your liver by preventing your body from making cholesterol. The drugs block an enzyme called HMG-CoA Reductase. This can be helpful, but only if you are one of those people who happen to produce too much cholesterol.

It doesn't do a good job at removing it from your clogged arteries, contrary to what most people think.

Physicians and health experts now agree that statins seem to offer more benefit through their ability to reduce dangerous inflammatory chemicals in your body, rather than by reducing production of cholesterol, which usually leads to uncomfortable, unwanted and dangerous side effects. One study found that lowering cholesterol too much actually backfires.

Cholesterol is good for you; it's one of your body's most powerful antioxidants, it makes important neurotransmitters and sex hormones so this madness to lower it as much as possible really concerns me. Plus, I believe the indiscriminate use of statins has contributed to the staggering rise in diabetes…


The Statin—Diabetes Connection Few People Know About


I watched this happen to my mom who was given a statin, and then told months later she suddenly had diabetes. All of a sudden? This happened many years ago, and it began my search to understand the connection. It also prompted me to write a book on the subject entitled "Diabetes Without Drugs" (Rodale, 2010).


It typically happens like this:



Many statin users come back to see their physician for a routine visit and after the blood work is drawn, they find their cholesterol ratios may be improved, but now they have high blood glucose.

It's entirely possible that some physicians then mistakenly diagnose their patients with "Type 2 diabetes" when in fact they just have hyperglycemia—a side effect, and the result of a medication that was prescribed to them months earlier.

Do you think you have type 2 diabetes?

I will provide more information so you can see for yourself that so-called "diabetes" diagnosis might not really be genuine diabetes. It may just be hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)—the result of your cholesterol medication, and for some people, it may be reversible with drug discontinuation. Whether or not you are able to discontinue your medication is between you and your physician.

Research Suggesting Raised Blood Sugar is a Side Effect of Statin Use
Several studies have indicated that statins can cause high blood sugar, which can be mistaken for "diabetes." For example, researchers in Glasgow, Scotland conducted a meta analysis, known as the JUPITER trial, which took into account 13 statin trials that each included 1,000 patients or more. The participants were followed for over than a year. The conclusion was there was indeed an increase, albeit small, in the development of Type 2 diabetes.

It should be considered that some of the patients in this meta analysis already had symptoms of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, so it could be said that they were on their way to diabetes anyway.

Now consider another meta-analysis published in the Lancet Here, the researchers reviewed randomized controlled trials beginning in 1994 and ending in 2009, for a total of 91,140 participants who took either a statin or a placebo.

They found that people treated with statin drugs showed a nine percent increase for diabetes. They did not evaluate other factors however, which would be considered pre-diabetes, so I suspect their nine percent number to be on the low side.

Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that reduces blood sugar. You want some insulin to maintain blood glucose levels, but too much of it is bad—it's an inflammatory compound in your body when it is elevated. And guess what? The use of statin drugs appears to INCREASE your insulin levels! High insulin is extremely harmful to your health.
For starters, elevated insulin levels lead to heart disease, and isn't that the reason cholesterol drugs are prescribed in the first place?

The ratio of glucose to insulin should be less than 10:1, this ratio is far more important than the levels of glucose or insulin alone. Keep that in mind if you seek a complete recovery. For more information about the harmful effects of elevated insulin levels, see my article on dearpharmacist.com, or my book Diabetes Without Drugs.

You want to keep insulin normal, to protect yourself from heart disease and high blood pressure. Chronically elevated insulin causes a cascade of inflammatory chemicals and high cortisol which lead to belly fat, high blood pressure, heart attacks, chronic fatigue, thyroid disruption, plus major diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer.

Unfortunately, the most popular cholesterol drugs in the world seem to increase insulin levels. However, that's just one mechanism by which these drugs can raise your risk for diabetes.


How Statins Raise Your Insulin


Keeping things simple, you might imagine it like this: When you eat a meal that contains starches and sugar, some of the excess sugar goes to your liver, which then stores it away as cholesterol and triglycerides. Now stay with me -- when you have a statin on board, it's like a message to your liver saying, "No! Don't make any more cholesterol, please stop."

So your liver sends the sugar back OUT to your bloodstream. As a result, your blood sugar goes up.

In 2009, it was proven that statins could directly raise blood sugar, whether or not you have diabetes. Over 340,000 people were included before this conclusion was made. The people who did not have diabetes but took statins experienced a rise in blood glucose from 98 mg/dl to 105 mg/dl. Those who already had diabetes and also took statins experienced a rise from 102 mg/dl to 141 mg/dl.

After adjustments for age and medication use were considered, researchers concluded that both diabetic and non-diabetic statin users showed a statistically significant rise in blood sugar.

Why take all these risks, just to get the convenience of taking a pill instead of eating a better diet and exercising?

It's been scientifically discussed and even published in JAMA that eating a better diet could lower cholesterol as well as the statin drug lovastatin.

And of course, there are so many other benefits to eating a healthier diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean meats. Besides feeling better and increasing lifespan, you can squeeze into those skinny jeans you're hiding in your closet.

Another way statins can affect your blood sugar is via their "drug mugging" effect. A drug mugger is my term, and the title of my newest book, which describes how a drug can rob your body's warehouse of a valuable nutrient. In the case of statins, they rob your body of two different nutrients, both of which are needed to maintain ideal blood sugar.

Two Important Nutrients Decimated by Statins

How Much Radiation Are You Living With Currently? What's The Dose?

The AQMD appears to be the site to go to for updates officially on radiation levels in CA and I assume each state has something similar.

Radiation Network looks a little archaic and not so easy to glean info from other than a map with points of monitoring and colors which is better than nothing. There's global maps available there as well but they also seem interested in selling their software. Hey, I get it.. why not. They're claiming to be on the job with readings for those who want to keep track now and for the foreseeable future as we're not speaking about something that blows over, its cumulative and the earth's atmosphere is contained, it's not like there's some other overflow space for bad stuff, it goes round and round and this is why you need to start dosing up now to build up protection for the long haul.

In California there's this guy who didn't trust either and has his own geiger counter set to show anyone looking. http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/california-radiation-levels/index.htm  
Cali is okay at the moment, okay being a subjective term.

Well I thought I'd try and see if I could find a source for current levels in various locations and thought the Nuclear Society might be a good place but then it occured to me they are an industry and money is the name of the game in industry so perhaps not so trustworthy a source. More to come as I find it but here's their site and verbiage.

http://www.new.ans.org/pi/resources/dosechart/

Radiation Dose Chart


We live in a radioactive world - humans always have. Radiation is part of our natural environment. We are exposed to radiation from materials in the earth itself, from naturally occurring radon in the air, from outer space, and from inside our own bodies (as a result of the food and water we consume). This radiation is measured in units called millirems (mrems).

The average dose per person from all sources is about 620 mrems per year. It is not, however, uncommon for any of us to receive less or more than that in a given year (largely due to medical procedures we may undergo). International Standards allow exposure to as much as 5,000 mrems a year for those who work with and around radioactive material.

I found a resource that may be a good place to start bombarding just to let them know we aren't placated by the talking heads any longer and want to have information and access to this store of iodine.

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/potassium-iodide.html
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Iodine Dosage, Doctor's Advice in Response to Japan's Radiation Threat- Dr. D. Brownstein- Iodine Guru

While trying to wrap my mind around a global catastrophe who's outreach is yet unknown but predictably severe I thought at least I could find out what Dr.David Brownstein, a leading authority on the supplementation needs of the body with iodine/iodide to see what his dose suggestions are in this particular  for protection and also to post his current messages since my last post of his right after the initial warning on it.  Keep in mind this is a week old with no recent comments. Wonder why that is.



Sunday, March 20, 2011



Japan Radiation Update 5: Question and Answer

Since the disaster in Japan began, I have been inundated with questions about supplementing with iodine. I apologize for not being able to answer all of your questions. I do try to read each and every question. Feel free to keep them coming (I may regret that statement). However, I will try and answer as many questions as I can. I will attempt to answer the commonly asked questions. Rest assured, in future books, newsletters, blogs, etc., I will try to answer all of your questions.

1. Can those with Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease take iodine?

A: I explain this topic in much more detail in my book, but let me summarize the answer. M research has shown that both Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease are caused, in part, from low iodine. In fact, nearly every new patient with either a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease has tested significantly low for iodine. My experience has shown that the vast majority of patients suffering with these illnesses improve their condition when iodine deficiency is rectified. However, some people (including those with and without Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease) may have problems with iodine supplementation. Of course, there can be an adverse effect to anything, iodine included.

The best results with iodine supplementation occur in those that have their levels checked and are followed by a health care provider who is knowledgeable about iodine. Furthermore, iodine supplementation works better when used as part of a complete holistic treatment regimen.

2. My understanding is that the reactor in Japan did not release any

radioactive gases into the atmosphere so no action is required of us here in

the United States. Is this true?

A: So far, the amount of radiation that has made its way to the North America has been small. However, if there is a nuclear meltdown, there will be much larger amounts released. This incident should be a wakeup call for Americans. If we eat better, exercise and maintain optimal whole body iodine sufficiency, there would be little concern about the amount of radioactive iodine that makes it to the U.S.

One final note. Even small amounts of radioactive iodine can be detrimental to those who are iodine deficient. It is best to maintain iodine sufficiency.

3. How many days should I take iodine?

A: The best results obtained with iodine are seen in those who use it for the long-term. Over the last 30 years, due to the toxic world we live in, our iodine requirements have markedly increased. This is due to the increasing amounts of toxic halides bromide, fluoride and chlorine that have permeated our food supply and our consumer goods. If we maintain iodine sufficiency, we will not have to worry about radiation clouds from Japan. How much iodine is required to maintain body sufficiency? My experience has shown that, for most adults, 6-50mg/day will achieve sufficiency. However, there may be some people that need more and some that need less. Remember, it is best to work with a health care provider knowledgeable about iodine. He/she can test your levels and make the appropriate recommendations.

4. Do children need iodine?

A: Yes, children need iodine just as adults need it. However, children need lower doses. They need to be dosed down for their size. A good rule of thumb for children is 0.08mg I/pound. I am not suggesting that anyone supplement a child without seeking care from their health care provider (that also holds for adults).

I will try to answer more questions in upcoming blogs.

posted by Dr. David Brownstein @ 4:37 PM 0 Comments

Friday, March 18, 2011


Japan Radiation Update 4

This is my fourth post about the Japanese nuclear disaster. First, I have to give credit to the U.S. government for suggesting that U.S. citizens move further away (50 miles) from the radiation danger. This action would serve to verify the severity of the crises.

I believe this crisis should highlight the need for each of us to take a more active role in our own health care decisions. It is important to take the proper steps to achieve your optimal health before a crisis arises. Many times these steps include eating a healthy diet and taking the correct supplements. My experience has shown that ensuring an adequate iodine level is one piece of the puzzle to obtaining your optimal health.

If the Japanese are not able to control the nuclear reaction that is occurring a true nuclear meltdown will occur. What will that mean to us? A nuclear meltdown could cause a large radiation cloud to leave Japan and deposit radiation over the U.S. However, that has not occurred yet. If that occurs, it is important to take precautions including ensuring that you and your family are taking iodine.

Here is how it works. Iodine binds to receptors throughout the body. For example, there are receptors for iodine in the thyroid gland. When iodine binds to its receptors, thyroid hormone is produced. Individuals who are iodine deficient suffer the majority of problems when exposed to radioactive iodine. In these people, radioactive iodine will bind to wherever there are open or empty iodine receptors. After radioactive iodine binds to these receptors, the surrounding tissue will be destroyed due to the radioactive iodine. Furthermore, it will damage the DNA of the surrounding cells. Damaged DNA is one cause of cancer.

Which tissues bind iodine? The largest concentration of iodine occurs in the thyroid gland. However, the largest amount of iodine is found in the fat tissue. Large concentrations of iodine are also found in many other tissues including the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate. If radioactive iodine binds to any of these sites, it will destroy surrounding tissue and potentially damage DNA. This can lead to long-term problems such as cancer of these tissues.

It is important to keep in mind that every cell needs and utilizes iodine. Therefore, radioactive iodine exposure can have a dramatic effect on the body.

Exposure to radiation is cumulative. That means any exposure to ionizing radiation builds up in the body over time. We should all strive to minimize exposure to radiation. Some forms or radiation are unavoidable such as normal background radiation. However, radioactive iodine emitted from a nuclear disaster in Japan (or anywhere else) is largely avoidable if your body is iodine sufficient.

If your body has enough iodine binding to its receptors in the thyroid, breasts, ovaries, etc., then the radioactive iodine has nowhere to bind. That is why it is so important to have your iodine levels checked before a disaster such as this occurs. If you are iodine deficient, you can rectify this problem by simply taking iodine.

Due to our exposure to so many toxic items that inhibit or block iodine utilization in the body--fluoride, bromide and chlorine--our body’s need for iodine has dramatically increased over the last 30 years. My experience has shown that milligram amounts of iodine are necessary for achieving whole-body iodine sufficiency. In fact, any iodine supplementation program should strive for whole body iodine sufficiency, not just thyroid sufficiency.

How much iodine is needed to achieve whole-body iodine sufficiency? My clinical experience has clearly shown that milligram amounts of iodine are needed to achieve whole-body sufficiency. These amounts can vary between 6-50mg/day for most people. Some may need more, some less.

There is no doubt that the radiation cloud from Japan will pass over the U.S. This radiation exposure is a potential health risk. How much iodine should you take to ensure that your body will not absorb radioactive iodine? Without proper testing, it is impossible to say what dose is perfect for everybody. However, I have recommended that adults take 12-14mg/day of a combination of iodine and iodide. That amount will prevent nearly 95% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland and still leave other amounts of iodine available for the rest of the body’s need. Children will need smaller amounts. You can dose a child down for his/her size. A general rule of thumb for children is 0.08mg I/pound of body weight. If a newborn is breast feeding, they do not need iodine supplementation if the mother is iodine sufficient. Iodine can be excreted in the breast milk.

I generally recommend either Lugol’s iodine, Iodoral (from Optimox) or Iodozyme Hp (from Biotics). Lugol’s iodine dosage is 2 drops per day (12.5mg) or 1 tablet of each of either Iodoral or Optizyme HP (both products are 12.5mg/ tablets). When should people begin iodine supplementation? At this point, with the disaster still progressing, I would say it is time to begin supplementation with iodine.

As with any substance, there can be problems with iodine supplementation. Before beginning supplementation, it is best to discuss this option with your health care provider. More information about iodine can be found in my books, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders.
n the next few days, I will begin to answer some of the many questions sent to me.

posted by Dr. David Brownstein @ 4:53 AM 0 Comments


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Japanese Radiation Update 3

As the news in Japan worsens, I am getting more and more questions about what to do. Let me try and address as many questions as possible. I will keep blogging about this until most of the questions are answered.

First, I believe the Japanese government is not being truthful about the magnitude of the disaster. I believe they do not want to create a panic. This disaster is far from over. In Japan, I feel the situation will get much worse before it gets better. However, for those of us in North America, we will get a much smaller dose of radioactive iodine as compared to the Japanese.

Therefore, the most important thing to keep in mind is do not panic. I do not believe that people will by dying in the U.S. due to the radioactive spread from Japan. However, depending on the amount of radiation released and weather patterns, it is not clear what our exposure will be. I may be wrong on my assessment. Time will tell.

The good news is that there is a safe and effective treatment widely available that prevents harm from exposure to radioactive iodine. It is the use of nonradioactive, inorganic iodine. That is the form of iodine I have been researching and using in my practice for nearly 10 years.

What dose of iodine will prevent damage from exposure to radioactive iodine? My mentor, Dr. Guy Abraham’s research answered this question. His research indicated that milligram doses (note: this is 1,000 times a microgram dose) are necessary to prevent radioactive iodine from damaging the thyroid gland. How much? Around 13mg/day prevents approximately 96% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland. That is the approximate dosage of iodine ingested daily by the Japanese. This is over 100x the average daily dose ingested by Americans.

Please keep in mind it is not just the thyroid gland that is at risk with exposure to radioactive iodine. The breasts, ovaries, uterus, prostate, skin, and other organs all bind and require iodine for optimal functioning. In fact, every cell in our body requires iodine for optimal functioning. Therefore, if we are iodine deficient, exposure to radioactive iodine can potentially result in damage to all the cells of the body. My experience has shown over 95% of patients are deficient in iodine.


I believe iodine deficiency is one of the underlying causes of the epidemic of cancer of the breast, thyroid, ovaries, uterus and prostate. Furthermore, iodine deficiency is the underlying cause of thyroid disorders including Hashimoto’s disease, Grave’s disease, goiter, and hypothyroidism. Our iodine levels have fallen 50% over the last 30 years. During that time, all of the above conditions have been rising at near epidemic rates.

I have written extensively about these ideas in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.

Who should supplement with iodine? If you don’t have a contraindication to iodine supplementation, I believe it should be a part of most people’s daily regimen. As with any substance, some people may not tolerate iodine. My experience has shown that most people can tolerate the doses I have written about. Before supplementing with iodine, I suggest discussing this with your health care provider.

I will do my best to keep you updated on this situation. Let’s send our thoughts, prayers, and support to the Japanese.