Your Body pH Effects Everything!!!

Balancing the pH is a major step toward well-being and greater health.

The pH scale is from 0 - 14
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 healthy 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 - 7.45 ). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH below 7.0 is acidic. A pH above 7.0 is alkaline.
An acidic pH can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur.
An acidic balance will: decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness. A blood pH of 6.9, which is only slightly acidic, can induce coma and death.
The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid forming; and we use artificial chemical sweetners like NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low and Equal. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.
To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.
Generally, alkaline forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts.
Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes.
Shifting Your pH Toward Alkaline...
These charts below are a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods for those trying to shift their body pH toward Better Health!
The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic ( low on oxygen ) and numbers above 7 are alkaline. An acidic body is a sickness magnet!!!!!. What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level falls.
Balance is Key To Every Aspect of Your Health...InsideOUT !!!
This charts below are a Great Shopping guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods to buy and EAT.


A list of Acid / Alkaline Forming Foods

Alkaline Forming Foods
We must consume MORE than 50% of these foods below in their RAW NATURAL STATE to heal us and promote optimum health.

EATING RAW FOODS IN THEIR NATURAL STATE IS VITAL IN HEALING CHRONIC DIGESTIVE ISSUES AND PROMOTING BRAIN HEALTH!


VEGETABLES
Garlic
Asparagus
Fermented Veggies
Watercress
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Dulce
Dandelions
Edible Flowers
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spirulina
Sprouts
Squashes
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
Nightshade Veggies
FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Dates/Figs
Grapes
Grapefruit
Lime
Honeydew Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Lemon
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
All Berries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

PROTEIN
Eggs (poached)
Whey Protein Powder
Cottage Cheese
Chicken Breast
Yogurt
Almonds
Chestnuts
Tofu (fermented)
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Tempeh (fermented)
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Millet
Sprouted Seeds
Nuts
OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Probiotic Cultures
Green Juices
Veggies Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Organic Milk
(unpasteurized)
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Dandelion Tea
Ginseng Tea
Banchi Tea
Kombucha

SWEETENERS
Stevia
Ki Sweet

SPICES/SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
Sea Veggies


Acid Forming Foods

FATS & OILS
Avocado Oil
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

FRUITS
Cranberries

GRAINS
Rice Cakes
Wheat Cakes
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Oats (rolled)
Quinoa
Rice (all)
Rye
Spelt
Kamut
Wheat
Hemp Seed Flour

DAIRY
Cheese, Cow
Cheese, Goat
Cheese, Processed
Cheese, Sheep
Milk
Butter
NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef
Carp
Clams
Fish
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Oyster
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Shrimp
Scallops
Tuna
Turkey
Venison

PASTA (WHITE)
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti

OTHER
Distilled Vinegar
Wheat Germ
Potatoes
DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspartame
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides

ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk





More Ranked Foods: Alkaline (pH) to Acidic (pH)




Alkaline: Meditation, Prayer, Peace, Kindness & Love
Acid: Overwork, Anger, Fear, Jealousy & Stress

Extremely Alkaline Forming Foods - pH 8.5 to 9.0
Extremely Acid Forming Foods - pH 5.0 to 5.5

9.0 Lemons 1, Watermelon 2
8.5 Agar Agar 3, Cantaloupe, Cayenne (Capsicum) 4,
Dried dates & figs, Kelp, Karengo, Kudzu root, Limes,
Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley 5, Seedless grapes
(sweet), Watercress, Seaweeds
Asparagus 6, Endive, Kiwifruit, Fruit juices 7, Grapes
(sweet), Passion fruit, Pears (sweet), Pineapple,
Raisins, Umeboshi plum, Vegetable juices 8
5.0 Artificial sweeteners
5.5 Beef, Carbonated soft drinks & fizzy drinks 38,
Cigarettes (tailor made), Drugs, Flour (white, wheat)
39, Goat, Lamb, Pastries & cakes from white flour,
Pork, Sugar (white) 40
Beer 34, Brown sugar 35, Chicken, Deer, Chocolate,
Coffee 36, Custard with white sugar, Jams, Jellies,
Liquor 37, Pasta (white), Rabbit, Semolina, Table
salt refined and iodized, Tea black, Turkey, Wheat
bread, White rice, White vinegar (processed).

Moderate Alkaline - pH 7.5 to 8.0
Moderate Acid - pH 6.0 to 6.5

8.0 Apples (sweet), Apricots, Alfalfa sprouts 9,
Arrowroot, Flour 10, Avocados, Bananas (ripe),
Berries, Carrots, Celery, Currants, Dates & figs
(fresh), Garlic 11, Gooseberry, Grapes (less sweet),
Grapefruit, Guavas, Herbs (leafy green), Lettuce
(leafy green), Nectarine, Peaches (sweet), Pears
(less sweet), Peas (fresh sweet), Persimmon,
Pumpkin (sweet), Sea salt (vegetable) 12, Spinach
7.5 Apples (sour), Bamboo shoots, Beans (fresh green),
Beets, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Cabbage;Cauli, Carob
13, Daikon, Ginger (fresh), Grapes (sour), Kale,
Kohlrabi, Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Parsnip,
Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes
& skin, Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberry, Sapote,
Strawberry, Squash 14, Sweet corn (fresh), Tamari
15, Turnip, Vinegar (apple cider) 16
6.0 Cigarette tobacco (roll your own), Cream of Wheat
(unrefined), Fish, Fruit juices with sugar, Maple
syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pickles
(commercial), Breads (refined) of corn, oats, rice &
rye, Cereals (refined) eg weetbix, corn flakes,
Shellfish, Wheat germ, Whole Wheat foods 32,
Wine 33, Yogurt (sweetened)
6.5 Bananas (green), Buckwheat, Cheeses (sharp),
Corn & rice breads, Egg whole (cooked hard),
Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Oats, Pasta (whole grain),
Pastry (wholegrain & honey), Peanuts, Potatoes
(with no skins), Popcorn (with salt & butter), Rice
(basmati), Rice (brown), Soy sauce (commercial),
Tapioca, Wheat bread (sprouted organic)

Slightly Alkaline to Neutral pH 7.0
Slightly Acid to Neutral pH 7.0

7.0 Almonds 17, Artichokes (Jerusalem), Barley-Malt
(sweetener-Bronner), Brown Rice Syrup, Brussel
Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Egg
plant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Miso, Mushrooms, Okra,
Olives ripe 18, Onions, Pickles 19, (home made),
Radish, Sea salt 20, Spices 21, Taro, Tomatoes
(sweet), Vinegar (sweet brown rice), Water Chestnut
Amaranth, Artichoke (globe), Chestnuts (dry
roasted), Egg yolks (soft cooked), Essene bread 22,
Goat's milk and whey (raw) 23, Horseradish,
Mayonnaise (home made), Millet, Olive oil, Quinoa,
Rhubarb, Sesame seeds (whole) 24, Soy beans
(dry), Soy cheese, Soy milk, Sprouted grains 25,
Tempeh, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Yeast
(nutritional flakes)
7.0 Barley malt syrup, Barley, Bran, Cashews, Cereals
(unrefined with honey-fruit-maple syrup), Cornmeal,
Cranberries 30, Fructose, Honey (pasteurized),
Lentils, Macadamias, Maple syrup (unprocessed),
Milk (homogenized) and most processed dairy
products, Molasses (unsulphered organic) 31,
Nutmeg, Mustard, Pistachios, Popcorn & butter
(plain), Rice or wheat crackers (unrefined), Rye
(grain), Rye bread (organic sprouted), Seeds
(pumpkin & sunflower), Walnuts
Blueberries, Brazil nuts, Butter (salted), Cheeses
(mild & crumbly) 28, Crackers (unrefined rye),
Dried beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney,
garbanzo) 29, Dry coconut, Egg whites, Goats
milk (homogenized), Olives (pickled), Pecans,
Plums 30, Prunes 30, Spelt




Neutral pH 7.0 ‹ Healthy Body Saliva pH Range is between 6.4 to 6.8 (on your pH test strips)

Butter (fresh unsalted), Cream (fresh and raw), Margarine 26, Milk (raw cow's) 27, Oils (except olive),
Whey (cow's), Yogurt (plain)






NOTE: Match with the numbers above.

1. Excellent for EMERGENCY SUPPORT for colds, coughs, sore throats, heartburn, and gastro upsets.
2. Good for a yearly fast. For several days eat whole melon, chew pips well and eat also. Super alkalizing food.
3. Substitute for gelatin, more nourishing.
4. Stimulating, non-irritating body healer. Good for endocrine system.
5. Purifies kidneys.
6. Powerful acid reducer detoxing to produce acid urine temporarily, causing alkalinity for the long term.
7. Natural sugars give alkalinity. Added sugar causes juice to become acid forming.
8. Depends on vege's content and sweetness.
9. Enzyme rich, superior digestibility.
10. High calcium content. Cornflour substitute.
11. Elevates acid food 5.0 in alkaline direction.
12. Vegetable content raises alkalinity.
13. Substitute for coca; mineral rich.
14. Winter squash rates 7.5. Butternut and sweeter squash rates 8.0.
15. Genuine fermented for 11Ž2 years otherwise 6.0.
16. Raw unpasteurized is a digestive aid to increase HCL in the stomach. 1 tablespoon, + honey & water before meals.
17. Soak 12 hours, peel skin to eat.
18. Sundried, tree ripened, otherwise 6.0.
19. Using sea salt and apple cider vinegar.
20. Contains sea minerals. Dried at low temperatures.
21. Range from 7.0 to 8.0.
22. Sprouted grains are more alkaline. Grains chewed well become more alkaline.
23. High sodium to aid digestion.
24. High levels of utilizable calcium. Grind before eating.
25. Alkalinity and digestibility higher.
26. Heating causes fats to harden and become indigestible.
27. High mucus production.
28. Mucus forming and hard to digest.
29. When sprouted dry beans rate 7.0.
30. Contain acid-forming benzoic and quinic acids.
31. Full of iron.
32. Unrefined wheat is more alkaline.
33. High quality red wine, no more than 4 oz. daily to build blood.
34. Good quality, well brewed - up to 5.5. Fast brewed beers drop to 5.0.
35. Most are white sugars with golden syrup added.
36. Organic, fresh ground-up to 5.5.
37. Cheaper brands drop to 5.0, as does over-indulgence.
38. Leaches minerals.
39. Bleached - has no goodness.
40. Poison! Avoid it.
41. Potential cancer agent. Over-indulgence may cause partial blindness.

Why We MUST Take Supplementation Daily!

Supplementation 101
by L. Lee Coyne, Ph.D.
Responsible supplementation is no longer an option if your objective is optimal health. Our Health Protection Branch (HPB) publishes, on a regular basis, a table of Recommended Nutrient Intake values to help guide us to appropriate levels for fat and protein intake along with many of the known or recognized vitamins and minerals. (Notice - there is no RNI for carbohydrates) Many health advisors try to tell their clients that they only need a “well balanced” diet to meet these recommendations.

However if you do some careful arithmetic you will find the task very difficult. Then if you read Dr. Shari Leiberman’s book “The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book” in which she uses a term “Optimal Daily Intake” (ODI), you will find the task even more difficult. The ODI is based on the latest research and reflects what our industrialized world has done to the air, water and food; in terms of quality and pollutants. This column will be in defense of the dogmatic opening statement “supplementation is no longer an option”.

Nutritional supplementation is one of the fastest growing industries in North America. Estimates of size range from $7 to $10 billion annually, compared to just $3 billion in 1990. Like all rapidly growing industries, the market place can become a consumer’s night mare with a myriad of choices, a range of quality and some over zealous misleading marketing claims.

Although the HPB attempts to provide some standards and controls, there are still many unregulated areas. These include many herbal products which are relatively unregulated and don’t even require DIN (drug identification number) registration like all vitamin and mineral supplements. The HPB also has difficulty in maintaining recognition of supplementation for therapeutic reasons. Then there are numerous products that do not require registration, are harmless but useless and some that have proven to be both harmful and useless. So the market place is still a “consumer beware” environment.

WHY SUPPLEMENT?
In the early 1900’s, all produce (100%) was organic. Rutgers University has published several papers comparing the nutrient density of organic produce and commercially grown produce. Organic always wins.
According to a US Department of Agriculture paper the average Calories intake in the early 1900’s was 3800 Calories but today the average intake is only 1800 Calories. Less than half - and most is not organic. So we tend to eat less than half the nutrients each and every day.
Risk of “free radical” damage is much higher today as the industrial world contaminates our food, water and air. We also produce free radicals during physical and psychological stress. Free radicals are biochemical units that, in excess, will destroy healthy cells unless we protect ourselves with adequate nutrition.
With average fat intake falling to 32% of Calories (compared to 48% in 1900), it becomes more difficult to get the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) from our diet. EFA’s are responsible for encouraging fat metabolism and the creation of some “super hormones” that lead to the production of anti-inflammatory hormones. Processed food tends to alter or eliminate the EFA’s.
Wide use of antibiotics has lead to the destruction of “friendly bacteria” in the intestine. Friendly bacteria, like acidophilus and bifidus play a big role in digestion and in maintaining the health of the colon.
A low Calorie intake is associated with a reduced fiber intake. The American Cancer Society recommends a daily fiber intake of 30 grams but average North American eats only 12 – 15 grams per day. Such a low intake increases the risk of colon cancer and other toxic side effects.
Most people do not consume enough complete, high quality protein, particularly at breakfast and lunch. (There is a tendency to eat more protein than can be absorbed during the evening meal). Therefore I have become a big fan of Soy Protein Isolate supplementation at breakfast, lunch, during snacks and just before exercise. A modern solution to a modern problem.
WHAT TO USE:
In my nutritional coaching practice, I divide supplementation into the following categories:

Nutritional Supplements – basic nutrients found in the RNI tables.
Herbal Supplements - which are really nature’s medicine, designed to prevent and/or solve certain health problems. Few are designed for long term consumption.
Fiber Supplements – fibre is indigestible but necessary for detoxification and regularity. It is not really a nutrient.
Protein Supplements – self-explanatory.
Friendly Bacteria – some now refer to these tiny organisms as “pro-biotics”.
Considering the Why Supplement list and the above categories, the following is a responsible supplement program that would benefit the heath of all people. This is basic, minimal and designed primarily for prevention of ailments and maintenance of good health.

High Quality Multiple Vitamin/Mineral. Should include all 8 recognized B vitamins including biotin. Balanced in proportion to the RNI. This multi should also contain high levels of Calcium and Magnesium.
Anti-Oxidants – Vitamin in the form of mixed carotenoids like alpha, beta and gamma carotene; Vitamin C, at least 1,000 mg in a sustained release format; Vitamin E in the mixed tocopherol format supported with selenium and grape seed extract.
Fiber Supplement containing a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibres.
Protein Supplement – preferably a Soy Protein isolate - not only to obtain extra protein but to also take advantage of the phytonutrients known as isoflavones.
Friendly bacteria – acidophilus and bifidus .
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Responsible nutrition consultants such as Diane Frances CNC-co-founder of Simply Younger.... may recommend other supplements for therapeutic reasons. The key word is “responsible”. Their recommendations will include the use of products from reputable companies. The best products are from companies that conduct true, publishable clinical research. They would be proud of such research and be prepared to share it with you upon request.

Antioxidant Vitamins Block Acute Toxic Effects!

Antioxidant Vitamins Block
Homocysteine's Acute Toxic Effects


Thanks to the December 2000 Nutrition Science News for the use of this article!


Diane Frances C.N.C.


About one-fourth of all American adults have excessively high blood levels of homocysteine. This amino acid is formed from methionine, which is taken into the body via animal-derived foods. High levels of homocysteine translate into a significant increase in hardening of the arteries known as arteriosclerosis. In that way, homocysteine is similar to cholesterol because prolonged, elevated levels of it gradually damage the inner linings of blood vessels, causing atherosclerotic plaque and narrowing of the arteries. However, for a catastrophic end result of this process to occur — a heart attack or a stroke — it typically takes more than just narrow arteries: It requires the blood within the artery to congeal into a clot, suddenly causing an obstruction.

What generally triggers clot formation are things like smoking a cigarette, acute emotional stress, physical overexertion, a virus or even just getting out of the bed too quickly in the morning. Each of these factors, in their own way, can act within minutes to recast arterial blood into a hyper-coagulable state. Then, for the next minutes, hours or days the blood remains prone to clotting. Recently, researchers discovered that high homocysteine levels also function as such a trigger, producing a double whammy in that it creates the problem, then induces the final outcome. However, certain nutritional supplements seem to be effective at overcoming this danger.

After the body experiences a trigger, the critical period of high vulnerability to clotting is extremely influential. The body immediately works to return the blood's stickiness to normal. Therefore, if one can get through this high-risk period, within hours or days, blood viscosity can revert to normal. Progression to a heart attack or stroke usually is not inevitable; in fact, it can be avoided for years or even decades.

This month I examine a study that demonstrates how high homocysteine levels can cause dangerous, "sticky" blood and how a timely dose of vitamins C and E can almost completely prevent such effects.

Researchers at the Department of Geriatrics, Second University in Naples, Italy, examined homocysteine's effects on 10 healthy young men and 10 healthy young women. The subjects were each given three loads in random order at one-week intervals of 100 mg/kg oral methionine in fruit juice, the same methionine dose immediately after taking 1,000 mg ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and 800 IU vitamin E, and a methionine-free fruit juice placebo. Since the body normally converts methionine into homocysteine and vice versa, loading up on methionine was expected to cause homocysteine levels to rise. In this case, the methionine-only group experienced a homocysteine increase nearly three-fold — from an average of 10.5 umol/L at baseline to 27.1 umol/L — all within four hours.

At the same time, there was a marked increase in the blood levels of several biochemicals that increase blood's tendency to clot. This showed that using a loading dose of homocysteine precursor (i.e., methionine) caused a major increase in blood stickiness. For a high-risk person who has been walking around with moderate or severe arteriosclerosis, this increase in homocysteine could be enough to trigger a heart attack.

The good news is that when researchers added the 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 800 IU of vitamin E along with the methionine load, homocysteine's pro-blood-clot effects were almost completely prevented. That is, the blood clotting parameters remained normal despite a drastic increase in blood homocysteine levels.

It appears that the combination of vitamins C and E may be an antidote to homocysteine, and one that works more quickly than traditional treatments such as vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid. These vitamins can lower homocysteine levels over the course of a few weeks. In contrast, vitamins C and E can act within hours. While they don't actually reduce homocysteine, these vitamins appear to protect the blood from clotting.

This study has a few important practical implications for people at risk for heart disease or stroke, although additional studies must be done to further support these findings.

First, increasing homocysteine by overloading on protein foods or methionine-containing high-protein supplements can be dangerous.

Second, adding the antioxidant vitamins C and E as well as homocysteine-lowering B6, B12 and folate should help keep blood thin. By thinning the blood, it appears as though vitamins C and E might reduce the threat of other acute proclotting triggers such as smoking, exertion, a high-fat meal or emotional distress. However, while these two nutrients may protect against high homocysteine levels for a few hours, the duration of their protective effect is unknown. Considering vitamin E is stored in fat, a single dose should be available in the body for days, depending on how fast the vitamin is metabolized. However, vitamin C dissolves in water and is excreted in the urine. Thus, for those at risk, I'd urge a 1 to 2 g twice daily vitamin C dose.



Richard N. Podell, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Podell Medical Center in New Providence, N.J.



Reference



1. Nappo F. Impairment of endothelial functions by acute hyperhomocysteinemia and reversal by antioxidant vitamins. JAMA 1999;281:2113-8.

7 Reasons why our body needs vitamins and antioxidants!

7 Reasons Why You Must Take Supplements
Find out why you need supplements, no matter what your health condition is.

Enlarge Image1. Food irradiation: is a food processing technique to extend the shelf life of food by destruction of harmful microorganisms and delay of ripening. The food is exposed to ionizing energy and radiation. However, this process also eliminates the essential nutrients especially water soluble vitamins and antioxidants. Food irradiation is widely used in products like chicken, meats, and vegetables. This technique is approved and used in more than 40 countries world wide.

2. Environmental Pollution: Everyday millions kilograms of chemicals are dumped into our environment. These wastes go to the air, water and food that we eat. For example, if you eat fish, you are quite likely to consume excessive mercury at the same time. Studies show that environmental pollution is the main cause for degenerative diseases. Thus, you need quality and potent health supplements to detoxify your body against the pollution and boost immune system.

2. Genetically modified (GM) foods: are crop plans created for human or animal consumption with advanced technology. GM foods are created to improve crop protection and improve the nutritional value. Although all GM foods you see from the market passed risk assessment, there is no long term study indicate that they are safe to human. In fact, GM foods can cause allergic reaction in some people. In addition, rat studies have shown that consumption of GM foods increased intestinal infections and reduce immunity.

3. Soil depletion: Aggressive farming, acid rains, use or artificial fertilizers and synthetic pesticides have caused soil depletion. These activities deplete the essential nutrients in the soil. As a result, nutritional values of fruits and vegetables are greatly reduced. In fact, the vegetables you eat today taste bland due to lack minerals in the soil. According to a recent study sponsored by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), about 17% of land in the world has been damaged. However, soil remains is either slowly losing nutrients, or no longer contain the essential nutrients.

4. Lifestyle: Depending on your lifestyle and behavior, you may need nutritional supplements. For example, smoking destroys certain vitamins. Both first hand and second hand smokers need to take extra antioxidants to protect the body against free radicals. Excessive alcohol consumption impairs the body's ability to absorb many nutrients and inhibits the production of digestive enzymes. In the above mentioned situations, taking supplements is MUST to stay healthy. Other examples that require extra supplementation include: athletes, pregnant ladies, people who work in radioactive environment and those who work in physically demanding occupation.

5. Stress: is not an unusual terms to many of us. Stress can deplete your energy, lead to acceleration of aging process and degenerative diseases. The symptoms of stress include fatigue, depression, panic, anxiety, loss of appetite, and insomnia. Fortunately, there are supplements that can work to effectively reduce the detrimental effects of stress, and also relief the symptoms of stress.

6. Pesticides in foods: Pesticides are widely used in agricultural activities to control and destroy pests. Pesticides are poisonous and reside in our foods. According to a study by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the health benefits of fruits and vegetables are reduced by use of pesticides. When you eat foods that contain pesticides, they may cause health problems to immune system, nervous and hormonal system. Unfortunately, there is no way you can detect pesticides in foods.

7. Food Processing: Most of the foods from supermarkets are processed. Processed foods are not fresh and contain fewer nutrients compare to fresh foods. For example, grain peels which contain natural fiber are removed in the processing stage. Processed foods also contain no live enzymes. Enzymes are necessary for digestion and metabolic function. Lack of enzymes can cause degenerative diseases. In addition, processed foods contain refined sugar, extra salt, unhealthy fat, and chemical additives. These substances may bring negative impacts to your body

TRUE HEALTH BEGINS FIRST IN THE GUT!

THE PHRASE “LESS FAT, MORE FIBRE” HAS BECOME A MANTRA OF HEALTHY LIVING BUT WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO WATCH WHAT WE EAT? AND HOW MANY OF US REALLY PAY HEED TO THE NEED TO LOOK AFTER OUR DIGESTION?

It may be hard to swallow, but chances are most people only worry about such things when digestive problems start to affect their wellbeing. Symptoms like heartburn, constipation, wind, mouth ulcers and even bad breath are all classic signs of a system that’s not working as it should be – and often things that can be remedied by making simple changes to how, what and when we eat.

The digestive system – otherwise known as the gut or gastrointestinal tract – is designed to process the foods and fluids we eat and drink on a daily basis. It’s essentially one long, muscular tube, measuring around 7 to 8 metres from start to finish. The process of eating right through to removal of unwanted waste usually takes between a day to a day and a half; if you’re constipated, that food waste could be sitting around in your bowel for five days or more, allowing more and more toxins to build up until the blockage is finally passed.

The body ultimately relies on efficient elimination of all unwanted matter AND waste – largely via the digestive system – to keep it in good health. When there’s nothing holding it back, the body is perfectly capable of disposing of its waste.If this waste builds up...and constipation occurs...this is like a form of Self-Poisoning! Yes...this OLD fecal matter is full of dangerous toxins and will transport themselves to EVERY cell and organ within the body.

A sluggish-slow running- digestive system WILL contribute to a build-up of waste that ought to be removed. This waste WILL effect your overall health...without a doubt!

While its’ true that eating fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, nuts and SOME wholegrain -Gluten-Free crackers may be good digestion...SO much More is needed to Keep Your Digestive System working proberly and eliminating dangerous Toxins.
Taking a Daily Fiber Powder IS...yes IS a Must Have. We need to intake 36 grams of Fiber a day! No one gets this which is WHY our digestive system is so full of dangerous toxins.
Fiber stimulates the digestive tract to help it work properly, as well as helping to prevent constipation. And remember--Constipation IS a Form of Self-Poisoning!
Fiber Powder daily also slows down the absorption of carbs, which in turn helps to slow down the delivery of Sugar rushing into the blood stream.
Remember=all processed carbs immediately turn to SUGAR within the body...right?
Fiber Powder daily is a Miracle to the digestive system...as is taking a high concentrated Aloe Vera Juice---in another one of my blog topics.
The Miracle Formula for a Healthy Digestive System IS as follows=
H=high fiber powder daily
O=Omega III's daily This is the OIL lubrication for our colon...So Important!
P=Multi-strain Probiotics --This helps put back the good bacteria we SO Need
E=Digestive Enzymes--Take with every meal--this breaks down ALL food particles

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND NOT ALL PRODUCTS OR PROTOCOLS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

Please Contact me IF you would like a FREE One-Time Consultation as to Your Best Product Protocol for YOUR Healthy Digestive System!

Dangers of Dehydration!!

DANGERS OF DEHYDRATION!


The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. Now THAT is a very powerful statement!



To provide nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water! Healthy, plain, clear filtered water!

Most modern societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important "nutrient" among all nutrients. Entire population groups are substituting water with tea, coffee, alcohol and other manufactured beverages.



Many people don't realize that the natural thirst signal of the body is a sign that it requires pure, plain drinking water. Instead, they opt for other beverages in the belief that this would satisfy the body's water requirements. This is a false belief.

It is true that beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and juices contain water but they also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals that act as strong dehydrators. The more you drink these beverages, the more dehydrated you become because the effects they create in the body are exactly opposite to the ones that are produced by water. Caffeine containing beverages, for example, trigger stress responses that have strong diuretic effects (causing increased urination, at first). Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar levels, which uses up large quantities of cellular water, too. Regular consumption of such beverages results in chronic dehydration, which is a common factor in every toxicity crisis.

There is no practical or rational reason to treat an illness (toxicity crisis) with synthetic drugs or even with natural alternative treatments or methods unless the body's need for hydration has been met first. Drugs and other forms ofalternative cleansing and medical intervention can be dangerous for the human physiology largely because of their dehydrating effects. Most patients today are suffering from "thirst disease," a progressive state of dehydration in certain areas of the body. Unable to remove toxins from these parts due to insufficient water supply, the body is faced with the consequences of their destructive effects. The lack of recognition of the most basic aspects of water metabolism in our body can be held responsible for seeing a disease when it really is the body's urgent cry for water.



Recognizing Dehydration

Those who have lived for many years without proper water intake are the most likely to succumb to the build-up of toxins in the body. Chronic disease is always accompanied by dehydration and, in many cases, caused by dehydration. The longer a person lives on a low water ration and/or on a high ration of stimulating beverages or foods, the more severe and long lasting is the toxicity crisis. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, cancer, MS, Alzheimer's, and many other chronic forms of disease are precipitated by years of "body drought." Infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is therefore one of the most important preventives for any disease.

People who do not drink enough water or unduly deplete their body's water reserves through overstimulation for a period of time gradually lower the ratio of the volume of water that exists inside the cells to the ratio of volume of water that is found outside the cells. Under dehydrated conditions, the cells may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular activities, whether they occur in skin cells, stomach cells, liver cells, kidney cells or heart cells.

Whenever there is cellular dehydration, metabolic waste products are retained, causing symptoms that resemble disease but in truth are nothing but signs of disturbed water metabolism. Since more and more water begins to accumulate outside the cells, the dehydration may not be apparent to the afflicted person; he may in fact notice that he retains water, leading to swelling of his legs, feet, arms and face. Also his kidneys may begin to hold on to water, markedly reducing urinary secretion and causing retention of harmful waste material. Even the enzymes and proteins living in the dehydrated cells become so inefficient that they are no longer able to recognize the dehydrated state of the body; they fail to set off the "thirst alarm."

Demetria, a 53-year-old Greek woman consulted me to find relief for a painful condition of gallbladder disease. Her skin was dark gray, indicating a high concentration of toxins in her liver and throughout her body. Seeing how dehydrated (and swollen) her body was, I offered her a glass of water. She said: "I never drink water, it makes me sick!" I told her that her natural thirst signals no longer worked because of cellular dehydration and that without drinking water her body could not return to balance. Any water she would drink would instantly be used to remove some of the toxins lurking in her stomach, giving rise to nausea. In her case, any other therapy than drinking water would have been a waste of time and money.

A dehydrated person may also suffer from lack of energy. Due to the shortage of water inside the cell the normal osmotic flow of water through the cell membrane becomes disrupted or severely disturbed. Like in a stream, the movement of water into the cells generates "hydroelectric" energy, which is subsequently stored in form of ATP molecules (the main source of cellular energy). Normally, the water we drink keeps the cell volume balanced and the salt we eat maintains the balanced volume of water that is held outside the cells and in circulation; this generates the right osmotic pressure necessary for cellular nourishment and energy production. During dehydration, this basic process is undermined.



The Pain Connection

Another major indicator of dehydration in the body is pain. In response to increasing water shortage, the brain activates and stores the important neurotransmitter histamine, which directs certain subordinate water regulators to redistribute the amount of water that is in circulation. This system helps move water to areas where it is needed for basic metabolic activity and survival (from drought). When histamine and its subordinate regulators for water intake and distribution come across pain-sensing nerves in the body, they cause strong and continual pain. These pain signals, as they manifest, for example, in rheumatoid arthritis, angina, dyspepsia, low back problems, neuralgia, migraine, and hangover headaches, etc., are necessary to alert the person to attend to the problem of general or local dehydration.

Taking analgesics or other pain relieving medications such as antihistamines or antacids can cause irreversible damage in the body. They not only fail to address the real problem (which may be dehydration) but they also cut the connection between the neurotransmitter histamine and its subordinate regulators such as vasopressin, Renin-Angiotensin (RA), prostaglandin (PG), and kinins. Although the action of the pain killing drugs can relieve local pain for a while, they nevertheless stop the body from knowing the priority areas for water distribution, adding confusion to all its functions. Antihistamines -- also known as allergy drugs - effectively prevent the body's histamines from ensuring balanced water distribution.

In addition to jeopardizing the water regulating mechanisms, after reaching a certain pain threshold, painkillers become ineffective because the brain takes over as a direct center for monitoring pain perpetuation (unless of course the body is hydrated again). If the body produces pain out of its own accord (not caused through an injury), this should first be interpreted as a cry for water. The use of painkillers, which suppress this cardinal signal of chronic and local dehydration in the body and which "short circuit" its emergency routes, sabotages waste elimination and sows the seeds of chronic illness.

There is enough documentation to show that these drugs can have fatal side effects. They can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, killing thousands each year. Yet the body's natural pain signals are perfectly normal responses to an abnormal situation, which may be simple dehydration. In the case that a pain is simply unbearable, the use of painkillers, however, may be unavoidable. At the same time, the pain-afflicted person should drink plenty of fresh water and discontinue all energy-depleting factors, as these tend to have a strongly dehydrating effect.

"Body Drought" - the Strongest Form of Stress

Our brain, working round the clock, requires more water than any other part of the body. Under normal conditions, it contains about twenty percent of all the blood that circulates through the body. It is estimated that brain cells consist of 85 percent water. Their energy requirements are not only met by metabolizing glucose (simple sugar), but also by generating "hydroelectric" energy from the water drive through cell osmosis. The brain depends greatly on this self-generated source of energy to maintain its complex processes and efficiency.

Water deficiency in the brain tissue cut downs its energy supply and thereby depresses many of its vital functions - hence the word depression. With a low level of brain energy, we are unable to meet our personal and social challenges and subsequently succumb to fear, anxiety, anger and other emotional problems. We may feel drained, lethargic, stressed and depressed. The chronic fatigue syndrome, which is commonly known as M.E., is mainly a symptom of progressive brain dehydration and subsequent retention of metabolic toxins in the brain. The syndrome may disappear on its own when the afflicted person stops stimulating the brain with caffeine, tobacco, drugs, animal products, etc., and begins a consequent program of re-hydrating the body.

The Stress Response

When dehydrated, the body has to put up the fight of a lifetime -- similar to the one experienced in a "fight or flight" situation. The body meets a crisis situation by mobilizing several powerful hormones, including adrenalin, endorphins, cortisone, prolactin, vasopressin, and Renin-Angiotensin (RA).

Endorphins, for example, help us to withstand pain and stress and allow the body to continue most of its functions. Cortisone orders the mobilisation of stored energies and essential raw materials to supply the body with energy and basic nutrients during the crisis. In other words, this hormone allows the body to literally feed off itself. This in itself is a very stressful and damaging situation for the body and is expressed by such emotions as, "I can't cope anymore" or, "I feel this is eating at me." Many patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS or other degenerative diseases take cortisone drugs, which often give them a boost of energy and morale for a relatively short period of time.

The "success" of the drug, however, only lasts as long as there are still reserves left in the body that can be mobilized for energy and nutrient distribution. Once the body has used up its emergency reserves the organism can barely function anymore and the symptoms of disease become worse than ever.

Constriction of blood vessels

When the cells in the body are under-supplied with water, the brain's pituitary gland produces the neurotransmitter vasopressin, a hormone that has the property of constricting blood vessels in areas where there is cellular dehydration. During dehydration, the quantity of water in the bloodstream is reduced. Vasopressin, as its name suggests, squeezes the vascular system, i.e., the capillaries and arteries, to reduce their fluid volume. This maneuver is necessary to continue having enough pressure to allow for a steady filtration of water into the cells. This gives vasopressin a hypertensive property. High blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated (for more information on hypertension and heart disease, see chapter 8). A similar situation occurs in the liver's bile ducts, which begin to constrict in response to restricted availability of water.

Gallstone formation is a direct result of dehydration.

A person who drinks alcohol suppresses the secretion of vasopressin and thereby increases cellular dehydration (if alcohol consumption is excessive, cellular dehydration may reach dangerously high levels). To survive the body "drought," the body has to secrete ever more stress hormones, among them the addictive endorphins. With regular consumption of alcohol, meaning every day for several years, dehydration increases even further and endorphin production becomes an addictive habit. This may lead to alcoholism, a disease that has devastating consequences on a person's personal and social life.

Water Retention and Kidney Damage

The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to inhibit urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not as vital as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the absorption of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal level of hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine forming) drugs and restricted salt consumption. Both may have severe drawbacks. Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize the blood pressure, as well as reduced salt intake strongly undermine the body's emergency efforts to save the little water it has left for cell functions. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. There are so many kidney replacements made today that result from chronic dehydration, caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water or overstimulation of the nervous system.

The Caffeine and Alcohol Drama

The caffeine contained in such beverages as tea, coffee, cacao or colas not only stimulates the central nervous system and immune system but also acts as a strong diuretic. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink you relinquish approximately three cups of water, which the body cannot afford to give up without suffering damage. The caffeine containing cola beverages work in a similar way. Caffeine, being a nerve toxin, stimulates the body's stress hormones and triggers a strong immune response that may give a person the (false) impression that his level of energy and vitality has suddenly increased. To remove the nerve toxin caffeine, the body has to come up with extra water, which it takes from its cells. Hence there is an occurrence of cellular dehydration.

Caffeine, which is a major component in most soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst. People, who frequently take soft drinks, can never really quench their thirst because their bodies continually and increasingly run out of cellular water. There are college students who drink as many as 10-14 cans of cola a day. Eventually, they confuse their bodies' never-ending thirst signal with hunger and they begin to overeat, causing swelling and excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the brain, regular caffeine intake overstimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart disease.

Alcohol has a similar diuretic effect as caffeine containing beverages. For every glass of beer, for example, the body is forced to sacrifice about three glasses of water. A hangover results when due to alcohol abuse the brain suffers severe dehydration. If this occurs repeatedly, a large number of brain cells become damaged and die. Many important brain functions slow down or become depressed. Recovery is possible to a certain extent if alcohol consumption is discontinued.

Kidney Stones

The main functions of the kidneys are to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid balance in the body. To accomplish this difficult feat, the kidneys constantly monitor normal blood volume and filter from the blood the right quantity of urine to keep it balanced. There are many influences that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. They include overstimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance, medical or narcotic drugs, vitamins, digestive disorders, etc. When the kidneys are incapable of sufficiently separating the urine from the blood, part of the urine continues to circulate throughout the body, depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels, joints, tissues, and organs. Skin diseases, strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, intestinal swelling, high blood pressure, etc. are all signs of toxic blood caused by crystals and stones in the kidneys.

Stones in the kidneys begin as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely noticed yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or stones are formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which normally in solution, are precipitated. Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine becomes too concentrated. The crystal particles or stones are usually full of sharp angles, which may cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their passage from the kidneys to the bladder. This causes severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be blood in the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.

Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a large stone enters a ureter, urine flow becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious complications, such as kidney infection or kidney failure.

Why The Need For A Kidney Cleanse?

The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and regulate the pressure from the heart that forces the blood through their filtering system. Kidney stones greatly impair this ability, which consequently increases the amounts of heavy metals and raises the body's general level of toxicity. This can lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart disease, brain disorders, cancer and many other diseases.



MLA Style Citation:
Moritz, Andreas "Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing." Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing. 12 May. 2005 EzineArticles.com. 18 Feb. 2010 .
APA Style Citation:
Moritz, A. (2005, May 12). Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing. Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Dangers-­of-­Dehydration-­-­-­-­-­And-­The-­Importance-­of-­Kidney-­Cleansing&id=35388
Chicago Style Citation:
Moritz, Andreas "Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing." Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing EzineArticles.com

WHY TAKE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS?

WHY TAKE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Presented to you bt Diane Frances CNC and by Lawrence Wilson, MD

© Revised, July 2009, The Center For Development

Many people ask why one needs to take vitamins or minerals in dosages exceeding the recommended daily allowances?
Among the reasons are depleted soil, low-nutrient crops, food processing and the use of pesticides and herbicides on our crops. Others include stress, special circumstances like pregnancy, and that we use nutrients for therapy, not just to avoid deficiency diseases. Let us discuss the topic of nutritional supplements in detail.

FALLACIES OF THE RDAs AND MDRs

Government bureaucrats meet periodically to decide the levels of the recommended daily allowances (RDA) or minimum daily allowances (MDRs) of common nutrients. The main criterion is the amount needed to prevent deficiency diseases. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, and B1 deficiency causes pellagra.

While this approach is okay as far as it goes, these recommendations have little to with optimum health. One of every two Americans will contract cancer and 50% of the population by age 40 have a chronic illness. In theory, most of these people meet or exceed the RDAs for nutrients.

The theory of the RDAs ignores more subtle aspects of nutrition such as the effect of vitamin C or zinc on tumor inhibition. This is much harder to measure, so it is ignored. The government requires that companies print the percentage of the RDA on each supplement bottle. This can cause alarm until one understands why the RDAs are inappropriate and often irrelevent.

BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY

For optimum health, one needs different concepts of nutrition. One of these is biochemical individuality. The term was coined by Dr. Roger Williams to describe his research finding that nutritional needs vary tremendously from person to person.

From this perspective, averages and standards mean very little. I use hair mineral analysis to assess each person's oxidation rate, stage of stress, trace element levels, toxic metal levels, digestive adequacy, state of the immune system and other factors that can be identified on the test.

I also take into account each person's age, sex, weight and health conditions including pregnancy and acute or chronic illnesses. All these affect one's nutritional requirements.

ORTHOMOLECULAR NUTRITION

Orthomolecular nutrition is related to biochemical individuality. The term was coined by the late Dr. Linus Pauling. It means to give the amount needed of a nutrient, not some average or standard amount.

My recommendations differ from those of many other nutritionist, physicians and orthomolecular physicians in that we use foods and nutrients not just to correct symptoms, but to balance body chemistry. For example, a person in an alarm stage requires more calcium, copper, magnesium, choline and inositol. However, excessive vitamin B-complex or C may be harmful for that person.

A person in the exhaustion stage of stress requires more B-complex and C and less copper. By properly combining nutrients and taking into account mineral levels, ratios and patterns, our programs are more precise and correction deeper and more permanent.



OTHER REASONS FOR HIGH NUTRIENT DOSAGES



I also recommend higher dosages of certain nutrients for other reasons. These include:



1) Most people today are born depleted and toxic. Even if one eats the best food, and one’s health were perfect, most of us are born today with nutritional deficiencies, thanks to deficiencies in our parents. Both nutrient deficiencies, and toxic metals that require extra nutrients for their removal, are passed from mother to child through the placenta.



2) Today's soil is depleted. Many soils are low in zinc, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, calcium and magnesium. This means that although one eats an excellent diet of organic foods, one will not obtain all the nutrients one needs.



3) High-yield crops are deficient in certain nutrients. Ten times the amount of wheat is grown on the same land as was grown 100 years ago. Today's wheat contains about 6% protein whereas 100 years ago it contained 12-14%. Trace mineral levels are similarly much lower due to high-yield farming methods.



4) Modern fertilizers do not supply enough trace elements. One hundred years ago, manures were used extensively for fertilizer. Today, superphosphate fertilizers have largely replaced manures. These contain mainly nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and are deficient in the trace elements contained in manures.

Superphosphates often act more as growth stimulants. This has contributed greatly to depletion of the soil and crop minerals. This includes organically grown food, although it is much better..



5) Pesticides and herbicides kill soil microorganisms and affect the nutrition of the crops. Soil microorganisms are needed to make minerals and other nutrients available to plants. The result is lower nutrient content. Also, our bodies require extra nutrients to process pesticide residues that remain inside the foods.

Many pesticides are deadly chemicals that severely tax the human system. Some contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals that slowly accumulate in the body unless and until one follows a health program designed to remove them.

Our laws currently allow sewage and factory sludge to be sold as fertilizer that contains significant quantities of toxic metals. These add greatly to our toxic metal burden and require extra nutrients to help remove them from the body.



6) Long-distance transportation of many foods diminishes their nutrition. Many foods are grown thousands of miles from population centers. They may spend a week on trucks or trains to reach you.

As soon as a food is harvested, the levels of certain nutrients begins to diminish. This is another factor that reduces our nutrient intake and increases the need for supplements.



7) Food processing often drastically reduces nutrient content. Refining of wheat to make white flour removes 80% of its magnesium, 70-80% of its zinc, 87% of its chromium, 88% of its manganese and 50% of its cobalt.

Refining sugar cane to make white sugar removes 99% of its magnesium and 93% of its chromium. Polishing rice removes 75% of its zinc and chromium. Canned food may be quite old. Frozen foods are nutritionally better but not as good as excellent fresh vegetables, meats, dairy and other products.



8) Food additives can further deplete nutrients. Thousands of artificial flavors, colors, dough conditioners, stabilizers and preservatives are added to many foods. While some are harmless and may increase the value of food, many are toxic and can deplete the body of nutrients. For example, EDTA added to some frozen vegetables to preserve the color of the vegetable does so by removing vital minerals from the vegetable so it does not “tarnish”.



9) Weakened digestion and resulting poor absorption of nutrients. A result of eating refined, low-quality food with hundreds of food additives is that most people's digestion is impaired. This further impairs nutrient absorption and increases nutritional needs. This is why in nutritional balancing programs, everyone is given a digestive aid and liver detoxification supplement.



10) Stressful lifestyles deplete many nutrients including calcium, magnesium and zinc. Zinc begins to be eliminated from the body within minutes of a stress. This is why many people have white spots on their fingernails, for example.

Stress causes excessive sympathetic nervous system activity, which reduces digestive strength. This, in turn, reduces nutrient absorption and utilization even further. Thus, anyone under stress will need even more nutrients than those that live a very peaceful and quite existence.



11) Nutritional Supplements For Healing Illnesses. The use of food extracts, isolates and even synthesized vitamin and mineral supplements for healing is extremely well-documented, even if it is denied by some “health authorities”. Literally millions of pages of research document the benefits of supplementary nutrient therapy for a wide range of illnesses.

Much more is written on this website about these methods. Here I just want to introduce the concept of using isolated nutrients, plant extracts and other supplements for healing.



12) Supplements For Mental And Emotional Healing. Many mental, emotional problems and neurological conditions such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy and many others also respond very well to nutrient supplementation programs.

This is another area of nutrition that is sadly overlooked by the psychological professions as well as by modern psychiatry. Their dependence on drugs is for one reason only. They do not understand the connection between nutrients in the brain and behavior. If they did, they would jump on nutritional balancing science, as it is so powerful, safe and, in many cases, quite simple as well.

If they at least acknowledged the toxicity to the nervous system of common metals like copper, cadmium, mercury and others, we would all be far better off. The drugs are a very poor substitute for fixing brain chemistry, which, as stated above, is often not so difficult if one is trained in this area.

In this context, I will add that I offer training to any practitioner who wishes to learn this. Also we offer a Diploma program for anyone who wishes to become a practitioner in nutritional balancing science.



13) Special life situations. Many life situations also require extra nutrition, including:



· Babies, children, the elderly and athletes.

· Anyone who is ill, particularly those with a chronic illness.

· Pregnant women, and even more so, lactating mothers.

· Anyone who is taking certain medical drugs such as blood pressure pills, anti-depressants or birth control pills, for example.

· Anyone who eats refined foods or chemical additives.

· Those who eat in a hurry, eat in their cars or have other eating habits that impair the absorption of nutrients.

· Anyone using over-the-counter drugs that affect the stomach such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Aleve, Motrin, Tylenol, Excedrin, etc).



Add up the numbers in these groups and you have most of the population! Yet few health professionals are taught that almost everyone has special nutritional needs that require extra nutrients beyond that which is available from only the highest quality food, eaten in a slow, peaceful manner.



14) Supplements For Mental or Spiritual Development. An important part of nutritional balancing science is that Dr. Eck found that certain nutrients given at the right time in the right quantities will activate the higher centers in the brain. This has to do with helping people to fulfill their true potential as a human being. Most often this does not occur because the nervous system is depleted and toxic.

For example, zinc and selenium in the proper bioavailable forms are among the most important nutrients that usually need to be supplemented. This is due to widespread deficiencies of these nutrients in the soils and foods of the planet.

In addition, the omega 3 fatty acids and kelp or another iodine supplement are critical for development. This can never happen in the same way using toxic drugs or with just the older methods such as relaxation or meditation.

This is a desperate need for planet earth at this time, for which reason I use the words spiritual development. We will only stop wars, starvation and many other problems when most people are functioning at high levels to solve important problems on earth or just being creative.



OTHER SUPPLEMENT TOPICS - HERBS



Commonly used food supplements include over one thousand herbs. Many come from ancient Chinese, Native American or other healing traditions. Herb texts describe many ways to use herbs for healing and nourishment of the body. Dr. Paul Eck, founder of nutritional balancing science, did not use too many herbs for a number of reasons:



1. Inability to balance the body precisely. Because herbs contain many nutrients and other substances, it is not as easy as it is with isolated nutrients to use herbs to precisely balance mineral ratios on a hair analysis. Since this is the basis for today’s nutritional balancing science, the herbs are of less use.



2. They are often a little toxic. For example, aluminum-containing herbs include peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen. They are helpful to settle an upset stomach, but are also somewhat toxic for this reason. A cup of peppermint tea on a regular basis is therefore not ideal though using it once in a while is fine.

All Chinese or Ayurvedic (East Indian) herbs seem to be somewhat toxic. Occasional use is okay, but regular use is not good at all.



3. Quality can vary tremendously. This problem is getting worse as more people want to use herbs, and there are fewer places to grow them that are free of chemicals and other soil contaminants.



4. Since quality varies, dosing of herbs can be difficult. This means that one does not always know how much to take. If the herb is very potent, much less is needed. This can lead to overdoses.



5. Combinations of herbs can be even more toxic or may not mix well in other ways. This is the same problem as mixing medical drugs, to a degree. Herbal combinations can oppose each other or impact one another in harmful ways, although herbs tend to be safer than medical drugs.



6. Cost. Good quality herbs are often costly. Nutritional balancing attempts to keep costs down wherever possible so more people can benefit. This is another reason herbs are not used much in nutritional balancing.



HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES



Homeopathy is a 150-year-old approach to healing that is extremely interesting. It is a type of energetic medicine using thousands of very diluted and “potentized” remedies that begin as common minerals, herbs, and every other substance imaginable. They are prepared in special ways so that eventually just the energy of the substance remains, with little if any of the original compound or substance. When prescribed correctly, which is very difficult, they may have excellent effects on the body and mind. Homeopathic remedies are generally much safer than pharmaceutical drugs. However, they are not easy to use at all. Other problems with them is they do not balance the oxidation rate or mineral ratios, specifically. Therefore, Dr. Eck did not use them and we do not, either. Exceptions in which they can be helpful are:



1. Symptomatic use. For example, one can go to the health food store and find homeopathic remedies for a cold or flu, to assist sleep, improve digestion, reduce pain and so on.

2. In the future, research may reveal other ways to incorporate them into nutritional balancing protocols in limited ways, such as ‘constitutional remedies’ for various mineral patterns. This is not done today, however.



OTHER SPECIALTY PRODUCTS



Today, thousands of other products are sold as food supplements. Some are excellent and may be added to nutritional balancing programs, at times. For more about some of these products, read the article entitled Specialty Products.

Many products at health food and drug stores, however, should be avoided, however, as most contain toxic substances. A second reason to avoid taking too many supplements is they appear to confuse the body and most are very yin in Chinese medical terminology. This is harmful today, even if the supplement itself is beneficial. I know this is confusing, but it is an important as aspect of supplementation. For more on this topic, read the article Yin and Yang Healing.



Supplements to avoid. The following supplements are generally okay for a month or two. However, avoid all prolonged use:



· Fulvic and humic acid products. These will give symptomatic results, but they contain toxic metals in spades.

· All chelation products. These are often extracts of cilantro, chlorella, bugleweed, yellow dock, and may contain EDTA, DMPS, DMSA and other chelators.

· Clay products such as bentonite, zeolite, montomorillonite, azomite and others that popular today as chelators or cleansing products.

· All herbs, as discussed above. A list of safer herbs is given below. Unfortunately, I find very few herbal products that I can recommend besides simple nourishing herbs such as chamomile tea, hibiscus tea and others.

· Most protein powders, cleansing drinks and powders, intestinal cleansers and related products. These tend to be very yin, nutritionally incomplete and should only be used, if at all, for very short periods of time for these reasons. Whole foods are generally much better. For example, one can live on rice for a week if one wishes to do an intestinal cleanse. However, with most nutritional balancing programs, such cleanses and detoxification regimens are totally unnecessary and usually slow down our progress. Exceptions are rare.

· Herbal fruit drinks. A little of these, such as acai, wolfberry and camu camu, and perhaps a few others are good for a short time. However, most are loaded with fruit juices and other sweeteners, so they are very yin, once again. They can also bad and ferment. They will give symptomatic results, but eventually they make the body extremely yin, which is not helpful in the slightest. Most of the others are once again very yin, which is not too helpful though they are nutritious.

· Many food-based nutritional supplements. While some are needed in nutritional balancing science, most are not. They are excellent for symptomatic purposes, but less effective, often, when the goal is to balance the body chemistry precisely. Dosages are often low, odd ingredients cause problems, and the supplements are more costly. For more on this topic, read Food-Based Supplements.

· Avoid all random and symptomatic supplementation. This is very tempting, but in fact, often slows down progress on nutritional balancing programs. Many supplements are not necessary or helpful in almost all instances. Too many confuse the body, are very yin, and easily negate the benefits of the ones that are needed. Symptomatic nutrition is a completely different approach to healing than nutritional balancing, and one that does not go nearly as deep and is not as thorough as nutritional balancing as it does not enhance vitality in the same way.

· All “natural” and “bio-identical” hormones. Unfortunately, these are becoming more and more widely used. They are all drugs, from our perspective, since hormones are supposed to be made inside the body, second by second, in very precise amounts depending on the body’s needs.
Taking hormones from the outside always upsets the body’s natural feedback mechanisms and, in our experience, always slows or even stops progress on nutritional balancing science. Hormone therapy is part of allopathic medicine, which is a totally different approach to health than nutritional balancing science. Please beware and do not use hormone replacement therapy if at all possible. We find we do not need it in 99% of the cases.

· Also beware of alkaline water machines – all brands. One is basically drinking filtered tap water, which is not great. Then the water is passed over platinum and titanium plates. This will impart a little of these extremely toxic metals to the water, as well.
To alkalinize the body, eat plenty of cooked vegetables. Even worse may be alkaline water from water stores. They begin with reverse osmosis water, which is not healthful. Then they add coral calcium, which often contains some toxic metals. The combination drives the toxic metals deep into the body cells, causing severe problems after a year of so.

· Avoid all water from water machines that use reverse osmosis.



HERBS GENERALLY SAFE FOR OCCASIONAL USE



These include acacia gum, agar, alfalfa, aloe vera, angelica root, anise, ash tree, astragalus, balm of gilead, baptisia or wild indigo, barberry, bayberry, bay leaves, bee pollen, bet root, birch, bittersweet, blackberry, black radish and all radishes, black walnut, bladderwrack, blessed thistle, bloodroot, blue and black cohosh, blue vervain, boneset, borage, buchu, burdock root, calamus root, calendula, camphor, capsicum, caraway, cardamom, cassia oil, cayenne, cedar berries, celery root, chia seeds, cinnamon, cloves, comfrey, don quoi, eluthero, dulse, dill, elder flowers, coriander or cilantro to eat but not extracts, corn silk, cranberry, cumin, daikon, dandelion leaves and roots, dill, dong quai, dulse, echinacea, elder flowers, eleuthero, eucalyptus, eyebright, fennel, fenugreek, flax, fu-sho oil, garlic, geranium, ginger, gingko biloba, goldenrod, green magma, gum Arabic, hawthorn berries, hops, horehound, horseradish, horsetail and huckleberry leaf.

Others are hydrangea, hyssop, Irish moss, jojoba oil, juniper berries, kelp, lady’s slipper, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, lily of the valley, linseed oil, maple, marigold, marshmallow root, milk thistle, motherwort, mullein, mustard, myrrh, nettles, nutmeg, oat straw, Oregon grape root, pansy, parsley, passion flower, peach, pennyroyal, peppermint, periwinkle, plaintain, pleurisy root, poke, poplar, prickly pear cactus, psyllium, pygium, pyrus communis, radishes (black, white, red, Russian, Spanish and other), raspberry, red clover, red sage, rhubarb, rose, rosehips, rosemary, safflower, sassafras, saw palmetto, senna, shave grass, shepherd’s purse, skunk cabbage, slippery elm, sorrel, spearmint, squaw vine, St. John’s wort, strawberry leaves, suma, sumach berries, sweet basil, tansy, thuja, thyme, tiger balm, turkey rhubarb, turmeric, unicorn root, uva ursi, valerian, violet leaves, watercress, watermelon seeds, wheat grass juice, white oak bark, white willow, wild cherry bark, wild lettuce, wild yam, wintergreen, witch hazel, wood betony, wood sage, wormwood, yarrow, yellow vervain, and yucca.



SUPPLEMENT LEGISLATION



Food supplements in the United States are protected from excessive regulation by the FDA by the Dietary Health and Supplement Education Act of 1994. Though it has been amended, this law essentially classifies supplements differently than drugs as “foods for special use”. Drug companies and their cronies make every effort to regulate supplements out of existence, as supplements often directly compete with drug profits.

Recently, laws were passed in both houses of Congress, led mainly by Ted Kennedy, Dick Durbin, Hillary Clinton and Henry Waxman. The bill requires supplement companies to comply with the same adverse reporting requirements as drug companies. The cost of implementing this bill could drive many smaller supplement companies out of business. And that is the unspoken goal.

The Codex Alimentarius is a second push by international drug companies and some others to reduce our health status further. This way there will be far more demand for patent remedies, which are drugs.

The Codex would also regulate the supplement industry and perhaps eliminate it altogether unless one has a doctor’s prescription. It could reduce the allowable over-the-counter dosages of all vitamins and minerals to levels so low the products won’t be worth producing.

Food supplements often provide 10 to 100 times the Recommended Daily Allowance of a nutrient. They must do so to offset the poor absorption and extra needs of thousands of people.

The Codex rules are already law in parts of Europe and scheduled to begin to take effect in the United States of America in 2009. If we value our freedom to choose and our health, these and similar efforts must be stopped.



References

Many books and websites provide documentation for this article. Listed below are just a few of them:



1. Anderson, M. and Jensen, B., Empty Harvest: Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity and Our Planet, Avery Penguin Putnam, 1993.

2. Atkins, R., Dr. Atkins Health Revolution, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1988.

3. Fitzgerald, R., The Hundred Year Lie, Dutton, Penguin Group, New York, 2006.

4. Hall, R.H., Food For Naught, The Decline in Nutrition, Vintage Books, New York, 1974.

5. Hoffer, A. and Walker, M., Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats Publishing, 1978.

6. Illich, I., Medical Nemesis, Bantam Books, New York, 1976.

7. Jensen, B. and Andereson, M., Empty Harvest, Avery, Pnguin Putnam, New York, 1990.

8. Pfeiffer, C.C., Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats, Publishing, New Canaan, CT, 1975.

9. Santillo, H., Natural Healing With Herbs, Hohm Press, Prescott, AZ, 1989.

10. Schmidt, M., Smith, L., and Sehnert, K., Beyond Antibiotics, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA,1993.

11. Wilson, L., Nutritional Balancing And Hair Mineral Analysis, The Center For Development, 2005, 2010.

Osteoporosis MYTHS: Calcium and Protein

Dr. Mercola and hundreds of other Alternative physicians, Nutritionist like myself and more... have already busted the myth that you need to use a bisphosphonate drug to keep your bones healthy. But there are two other myths that need dispelling:

Osteoporosis is caused by calcium deficiency: Bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals, and if you focus exclusively on calcium supplementation you are likely going to worsen your bone density and actually increase your risk of osteoporosis.

Overconsumption of calcium creates other mineral deficiencies and imbalances, which then increase your risk of heart disease, kidney stones, gallstones, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, obesity, opportunistic infections and type 2 diabetes.

A high-protein diet leads to osteoporosis: The myth that eating a high protein diet will cause calcium loss through the urine is simply false. Consuming plenty of high quality protein, like free-range eggs and grass-fed meats, ensures that you’ll have the amino acids your body needs to form a strong bone matrix.

My Prescription for Bone Health

These simple guidelines will help you maintain or increase your bone strength safely and naturally, without the use of drugs:

Increase your consumption of vegetables based on your body's unique nutritional type. If you find it difficult to eat the recommended amount of vegetables you need daily, you can also try vegetable juicing. Make sure your veggies are fresh, organic, locally grown vegetables that are not genetically modified.

Consume a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats, and reduce or eliminate the amount of processed vegetable oils such as corn, canola, safflower, and soy.

Eat according to your nutritional type. This will ensure that you’re getting enough nutrients for your bones, as well as helping to correct your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

Avoid gluten, a grain protein that has been shown to decrease bone density. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt.

Avoid soda and sugar, which increase bone damage by depleting your bones of calcium.

Avoid steroids, especially if you have asthma or any other autoimmune disease. Steroids increase your risk for osteoporosis.

Consider supplementing with vitamin K2 if you are not getting enough from food alone. Vitamin K2 serves as the biological "glue" that helps plug the calcium into your bone matrix. The dose is about 185 mcg per day.

Get enough vitamin D, ideally from proper amounts of sun exposure. Vitamin D builds your bone density by helping your body absorb calcium.

Exercise. Studies show that exercise is just as important to your bone health as eating a calcium-rich diet. Strength building exercises like weight training are especially helpful here.

Consider natural progesterone[v], which can increase your bone strength. It does this by serving as a growth promoter for the osteoblasts (the cells that build bone). For more on progesterone, please review Complications Regarding Progesterone Cream





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[i] Jarvinen T.L.N., Slevanen H., Khan K.M., Heinonen A., and Kannus P. “Shifting the focus in fracture prevention from osteoporosis to falls” BMJ (January 19, 2008) 336:124-126

[ii] Edelson E. “Bone strengthening drugs may be overprescribed” (January 18, 2008) The Washington Post

[iii] Murphy K. “Splits form over how to address bone loss” (September 7, 2009) New York Times

[iv] Henry J.H., BSc(Hons), Pasco J.A., Sanders M.S., Nicholson G.C., and Kotowicz M.A. “Fracture risk (FRISK) score: Geelong osteoporosis study” (October 2006) Radiology 241:190-196

What You Risk With Fosamax

What You Risk With Fosamax
Presented to you by Diane Frances CNC-and Dr. Mercola

Merck tried to hide the fact that Fosamax is causing jawbone death, a disease now known to oral surgeons as Bisphosphate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) or “Fossy Jaw,” a nasty side effect of Fosamax and related drugs that is difficult to treat.

Essentially, the condition causes your jawbone to rot and decay—quite ironic considering the drugs are primarily taken by people looking to strengthen their bones.

In addition to BRONJ, bisphosphate drugs have also been associated with:

Serious eye inflammation and possible blindness

Liver damage

Atrial fibrillation

Increased risk of ulcers

Esophageal cancer

Renal failure

Skin reactions

Hypocalcemia (blood calcium levels are too low)

With a resume like this, it’s not surprising that Merck may have intentionally tried to keep the side effects of Fosamax under wraps—what drug representative would want to share this information with potential clients?

Merck did the same thing with their tragically dangerous painkiller, Vioxx.

Fosamax: Works on Bone Cells AND Soap Scum

Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva, are problematic because they stay in the bone indefinitely and disrupt the normal bone regeneration process.

Healthy bones maintain their strength from a continual process of bone breakdown and bone rebuilding. Osteoclasts are the cells that break down your bone, and osteoblasts are the cells that rebuild it.

Fosamax and similar drugs poison your osteoclasts, permanently killing them—the normal bone repair process is halted. So, your bones will indeed get denser. However, denser bones are NOT stronger bones, which is the part they don’t tell you. In fact, eventually your bones become weaker and more prone to fracture.

Why?

Because bone is a dynamic structure that requires the removal of unhealthy bone and REPLACEMENT with new bone to stay strong. Fosamax does NOT build any new bone. It only kills the cells that break bone down, so your bone is not benefitting from its natural regenerative process.

But don’t throw out that Fosamax just yet!

It’s in the same chemical class (phosphonate) as the cleaners you use to remove soap scum from your bathtub. So, maybe you can make use of it in your bathroom after all.

What You Risk With Fosamax

Merck tried to hide the fact that Fosamax is causing jawbone death, a disease now known to oral surgeons as Bisphosphate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) or “Fossy Jaw,” a nasty side effect of Fosamax and related drugs that is difficult to treat.

Essentially, the condition causes your jawbone to rot and decay—quite ironic considering the drugs are primarily taken by people looking to strengthen their bones.

In addition to BRONJ, bisphosphate drugs have also been associated with:

Serious eye inflammation and possible blindness

Liver damage

Atrial fibrillation

Increased risk of ulcers

Esophageal cancer

Renal failure

Skin reactions

Hypocalcemia (blood calcium levels are too low)

With a resume like this, it’s not surprising that Merck may have intentionally tried to keep the side effects of Fosamax under wraps—what drug representative would want to share this information with potential clients?

Merck did the same thing with their tragically dangerous painkiller, Vioxx.

Fosamax: Works on Bone Cells AND Soap Scum

Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva, are problematic because they stay in the bone indefinitely and disrupt the normal bone regeneration process.

Healthy bones maintain their strength from a continual process of bone breakdown and bone rebuilding. Osteoclasts are the cells that break down your bone, and osteoblasts are the cells that rebuild it.

Fosamax and similar drugs poison your osteoclasts, permanently killing them—the normal bone repair process is halted. So, your bones will indeed get denser. However, denser bones are NOT stronger bones, which is the part they don’t tell you. In fact, eventually your bones become weaker and more prone to fracture.

Why?

Because bone is a dynamic structure that requires the removal of unhealthy bone and REPLACEMENT with new bone to stay strong. Fosamax does NOT build any new bone. It only kills the cells that break bone down, so your bone is not benefitting from its natural regenerative process.

But don’t throw out that Fosamax just yet!

It’s in the same chemical class (phosphonate) as the cleaners you use to remove soap scum from your bathtub. So, maybe you can make use of it in your bathroom after all.

Don't Take Another Drug Until You Read How You're Being Conned...

Warning! Don't Take Another Drug Until You Read How You're Being Conned...
Presented to you by Diane Frances CNC and resources by Dr. Mercola
January 28 2010 15,599 views


Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become thinner, more porous and break more easily. Osteopenia is different from osteoporosis -- it is a slight thinning of bones that occurs naturally as women get older and typically doesn't result in disabling bone breaks.
Osteopenia is a condition that only recently started to be thought of as a problem that required treatment. Until the early 1990’s, only a handful of people had even heard of the word. But osteopenia has transformed from a rarely heard word into a problem that millions of women swallow pills to treat.

The term “osteopenia” was never originally meant to be considered as a disease -- it was a research category used mostly because some thought it might be useful for public health researchers who like clear categories for their studies.

But in 1995, a man named Jeremy Allen was approached by the drug company Merck. The pharmaceutical giant had just released a new osteoporosis drug called Fosamax. Since osteoporosis is a serious problem that affects millions of women, the potential market for Fosamax was enormous. But the drug wasn’t selling well.

Allen persuaded Merck to establish a nonprofit called the Bone Measurement Institute. On its board were six of the most respected osteoporosis researchers in the country.

But the institute itself had a rather slim staff: Allen was the only employee.

In 1997 the institute and several other interested organizations successfully lobbied to pass the Bone Mass Measurement Act, a piece of legislation that changed Medicare reimbursement rules to cover bone scans. More and more women got bone density tests (at Merck’s urging), and the very existence of the word "osteopenia" on a medical report had a profound effect.

Millions of women were worried by the diagnosis. And when clinicians saw the word 'osteopenia' on a report, they assumed it was a disease. Merck did not disabuse them of the notion.

There are no long-term studies that look at what happens to women with osteopenia who start Fosamax in their 50’s and continue treatment long-term in the hopes of preventing old-age fractures. And none are planned