Health Reports
Book Review: The Whole Story - Alternative Medicine on Trial
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: October 12, 2010 October 12, 2010
The Whole Story: Alternative Medicine on Trial, by Toby Murcott, sets out to provide an unbiased overview of alternative medicine; cataloging its strengths and weaknesses. Mr. Murcott was the science correspondent for BBC World Radio, and he holds a PhD. in biochemistry. His attempt at unbiased reporting in the book is flawed, because he misses a crucial point of good journalism: a journalist cannot ethically present both sides of a controversy in a balanced manner, if either side is known to be distorting the facts. A reporter has a duty to note such deceptions, or he merely becomes a passive part of the propaganda apparatus himself, through his omissions. Objectivity is a vaulted (but rarely seen) ideal of modern journalists, but it is hardly idyllic whenever it seduces them into perpetuating known lies themselves. They may be drawn into the corruption themselves, ironically by working to distance themselves from it.
Death Rates Drop When Doctors Go on Strike
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: October 08, 2010 October 08, 2010
Most people believe that doctors save far more than they harm, and that any doctor-induced injuries are usually minor. However, there is plenty of evidence that shows otherwise. In the year 2000, doctors in Israel decided to go on strike; demanding increases in pay. Before long, morticians began to notice a bizarre trend.
“The number of funerals we have performed has fallen drastically”.
— Hananya Shahor, the veteran director of
Jerusalem's Kehilat Yerushalayim burial society.
Being Poisoned by Candlelight
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: September 19, 2010 September 19, 2010
Candles were once used as a primary source of light, but now they litter people's homes as decorations, relaxants, and scenting agents. Most people never consider the possible health implications of candles, and may find themselves shocked by the new "lead-free" labels on certain brands.
Prior to 2003, candle wicks were tainted with lead compounds, and often antimony. They were shown to release large amounts of lead vapors into the air. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission subsequently banned the importation and sale of wicks that contain lead compounds. American companies that use wicks laced with metallic compounds switched to using zinc and tin. However, many imported candles still contain lead compounds, in spite of the 8-year-old ban. Customs officials are not exactly busy testing candle wicks, so the poisoning is allowed to continue. Once again, our reliance on unreputable countries like China has left Americans with reduced quality products and poisonings.
Food, Farming and Freedom of Choice: Original I-channel Documentary 'Milk War' Premieres Sept. 26
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: September 10, 2010 September 10, 2010
Editor's Note:This article came to us as a press release. We are posting it because we believe that it will interest our readers. It was written by a third-party, and we have not previewed the movie.
On a November morning in 2006, 20 armed officers raided a small farm two hours north of Toronto. They weren’t looking for drugs or guns. They were there for the milk.
Coca Cola is Being Sued Over 'Vitamin Water' Health Claims
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: August 13, 2010 August 13, 2010
Members of the health movement are often on the lookout for healthy beverages. Water is not particularly flavorful, and this has given rise to a plethora of health drink scams. Flavored water has existed for well over a decade, and it continues to fool some people into believing that they are getting all of the benefits of spring water, with added flavors. Campbell's V8 came reconstituted more recently, adding mysterious "natural flavors" and reconstituted juices. When green tea became popular, companies like Lipton jumped on the new trend by delivering green teas containing unknown "natural flavors", along with DNA-damaging sodium benzoate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and of course, artificial colors.
Coca Cola has been pushing Vitamin Water for some time. This health scam contains 33 grams of refined sugar, which equates to around 8 teaspoons (about 3 tablespoons). That is not far from a regular can of coke, which has 39 grams. Synthetic vitamins are then added to make the drink healthy. As such, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a lawsuit against Coca Cola for making ridiculous health claims about its chemically engineered sugar water.
FDA Being Sued: Responsible for Triclosan being in 75 percent of Americans
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: July 30, 2010 July 30, 2010
"Washing your hands with so-called antibacterial soap containing triclosan or triclocarban actually does nothing different than using regular soap and water. Using soap containing these chemicals does not provide an additional benefit as consumers might think, but instead actually comes with potential health risks."
— Jennifer Sass, N.R.D.C.
We have warned our readers before about the dangerous contaminants and dangerous active ingredients of both hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps before. For all the dirty details, be sure to reference the 'Related Articles' links at the bottom. The sad irony about the toxic antibacterial substances is that more often than not, they actually stimulate illnesses, instead of preventing them. Live bacteria been discovered inside many popular antibacterial products, which tells us much about their true antibacterial effectiveness. We previously noted that current research shows triclosan is damaging to the endocrine system. The endocrine system is made up of glands that are responsible for mood regulation, metabolism and growth. So, we have quite a disease-inflicting cocktail when this crud is mixed with fluoride. Over enough time, the glands of the body do not stand a chance. When crucial glands begin failing, diseases emanate. Failure of the adrenal glands, for instance, can quickly result in the onset of diabetes, or Cushing's syndrome. Failure of the thyroid gland can result in hypothyroidism or diabetes. All of these are epidemics, with triclosan being in the bodies of 75% of Americans. Most often, these chemicals will silently attack the immune system to cause the very illnesses that they are marketed to prevent.
GlaxoSmithKline Cheers $2.3 Billion Fine for Causing 800 Heart Attacks Per Month
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: July 15, 2010 July 15, 2010
GlaxoSmithKline has been under fire recently because its diabetes drug, Avandia, causes heart attacks. That's just another minor complication that patients were never warned about. It is a particularly disturbing situation, since those who have diabetes are already at an increased risk of heart failure. We have written about Avandia previously, but we were under the impression that it was about to be removed from the market. We over-estimated the Food and Drug Administration. The F.D.A. reevaluated the drug, which caused Glaxo's stocks to drop at the prospect of a massive fine. It was predicted by some analysts that the F.D.A. would finally drop the hammer on GlaxoSmithKline, and penalize it by $6 billion. This amount is two-thirds of their annual profit ($8 billion).
"Since a low point on Wednesday afternoon before the F.D.A. vote, GlaxoSmithKline stock has risen nearly 5 percent."
The Mail Bag #7: Diabetes and Ye of Little Faith
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: June 24, 2010 June 24, 2010
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From: Thomas Corriher To: xxxxxxx@gmail.com Subject: HealthWyze and Diabetes Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:40:32 -0400 (EDT) |
"Hello, I am a type 1 diabetic. I have found some information recently that is mind boggling; such as synthetic insulin being poisonous to the pancreas, and that there is in fact, a cure for diabetes. I have been trying to pass this information on to other diabetics, only to be told that the information I have found is untrue, and that my sources (healthwyze specifically) are unreliable and unreputable. I want to help others, but it seems that they really don't want to hear the truth, or they can't believe it. Where do you get your information? I would really like to pass it on."
Dishonest Dietary Supplement Labels and Serving Sizes
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: June 01, 2010 June 01, 2010
People are often deceived by dietary supplement labels. These labels are intentionally deceptive, and frequently imply that they contain far more of a given substance than they actually do. Pictured right is a standard label for a dietary supplement.
As intended, people easily come to the false conclusion that these pills contain 1 gram (1000 mg.) of vitamin C, but that would be wrong. Always notice the serving size. In this example, the serving size is two tablets, which means that the nutrient information shown is what you would obtain from taking two pills at a time. There's actually only 500 mg. of vitamin C in each tablet. This may not seem particularly disturbing, until one realizes that other companies routinely change the serving sizes to be up to 6 pills. All of their nutrient information would need to be divided by six to get an approximate amount for each ingredient. Unscrupulous supplement companies rely on the fact that most people never notice the serving sizes, and that their customers will assume that they are getting exactly what the nutrient label says for each pill. Some of the more honest supplement companies have the serving size listed as one pill, which is exactly how it should be.
Alternative Medicine Fraud: Magnet Therapy
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 28, 2010 May 28, 2010
Magnets are becoming popularized as a method for treating swelling and joint issues, with magnetic therapy growing to a billion dollar business internationally. This is due to massive marketing schemes. Magnet therapy advertisements plagued the June issue of Carolina Country, a free magazine that is distributed by the utility company, Energy United. The magnets were embedded into clothing, which allegedly relieves stiffness and fatigue. The product was essentially thick spandex underwear with embedded magnets. The manufacturer sells a large line of magnet-based "therapies", and they hook their victims using products like the one described. That particular entry-level product was one of the cheaper ones ($9.97) that was merely designed to reel-in gullible people for future marketing.
Special Investigative Report: L-tryptophan, Lactic Acid, Prozac and Naturally Treating Depression
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 27, 2010 May 27, 2010
L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is found in many foods. It cannot be produced by the body itself, so it must be gained through a healthy diet, or through supplementation. It is the compound inside turkey that causes drowsiness, and turkey is the greatest natural source for it. L-tryptophan was a very common dietary supplement before being blocked for a year by the F.D.A. in 1989. It is used as a natural and holistic treatment for depression, and as a sleep aid.
Quick Tip: How To Eliminate A Sore Throat
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 24, 2010 May 24, 2010
Whether people are suffering with the common cold or bronchitis, a sore throat is often one of the first symptoms. There are very few useful pharmaceutical options, so even doctors frequently recommend home remedies. We have found a cure for some cases of sore throat. It can dramatically reduce pain in a matter of minutes.
Mix one teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper with one teaspoon of sea salt, in an 8 ounce glass. Fill with water and mix well. Gargle with this formula, and then refrigerate it. You should re-use it whenever the throat becomes painful again. It does not need to be warmed. It will break-up the bacterial coating in the throat, so expect to be profusely spitting for a few minutes afterward. Discard it after a day, and remake it as necessary.
Quick Tip: How To Remedy Food Poisoning
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 21, 2010 May 21, 2010
Those who eat at restaurants on a regular basis are certain to occasionally experience food poisoning. The symptoms can appear within three to four hours. They include diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and fever. The symptoms can be violently extreme. An individual will typically suffer with food poisoning for 24 to 36 grueling hours. Most of the so-called "stomach bugs" are actually minor cases of food poisoning, but they are rarely recognized as such. Food poisoning is a much more common problem than most people realize.
Staphylococcus aureus is a very common food poisoning bacteria. It is killed by normal cooking, but it is frequently found in hand-made products that are left at room temperature for a long time, such as potato salad or sandwich spread. Salmonella is the most infamous food poisoning agent, but it is easily destroyed in temperatures above 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The presence of listeria in meats has resulted in a large number of meat recalls. It breeds in the unhygienic conditions of factory farms. It causes flu-like symptoms, and it has the unusual trait of becoming contagious in an infected individual. It can be deadly to children and people who have weakened immune systems. Botulism toxins are caused by the clostridium botulinum bacteria. Botulism poisoning is rare. It is only responsible for 1 in 400 cases of food poisoning, but it is more likely to result in death. Cl. botulinum can exist as a heat-resistant spore, and may grow to produce a neurotoxin in under-cooked, home-canned foods. Incredibly, botulinum poison therapy ("Botox") is an approved medical therapy, which is used to temporarily hide wrinkles through its central nervous system toxicant effect, which paralyzes patients' faces like venomous snake bites. Without surprise, it is widely being tested as a treatment for neurological disorders too.
Why Pets Are Good For You
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 19, 2010 May 19, 2010
Pets have been given a bad reputation in recent years, especially in connection with health. Furry friends have been demonized for causing asthma and breathing difficulties, whilst reptiles were labeled as unsanitary. However, studies repeatedly show that the benefits of pets often outweigh the risks. It is similar to the manner in which plants have been recommended against, due to the pollen that they produce. Plants have health benefits of their own, both by cleaning the air, and by reducing stress. Here are some of the ways that pets may improve our health.
Making Meat Toxic with Industrial Additives
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- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 17, 2010 May 17, 2010
The many benefits of eating meat are negated when its nutritional value has been corrupted by the chemical industry. Contrary to what is being widely taught, natural beef is not unhealthy, nor is it full of fat. However, when cows are factory-farmed in concrete sheds, in the most repulsive conditions, and they are barely kept alive with pharmaceuticals; then the resultant meat is fatty and unhealthy.
The fat content of beef sold in regular U.S. retailers is 4 to 5 times higher than beef that was sold during the 1950's. It was common for U.S. beef in the 1950's to have as little as 2% fat, but now the fat content is so high in factory-farmed beef that the U.S.D.A. allows ground beef to be up to 30% fat and 15% pink sludge (described later). That means that ground beef in the U.S. is sometimes only 55% real meat.
Why You Should Avoid All HONcode Certified Websites
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 14, 2010 May 14, 2010
Beware Of This Image
Increasingly, we have noticed the use of this image (right) on health sites, so we investigated its merits. HONcode (Health on the Net) certification has a list of "principles" that sites must supposedly adhere to, if they wish to bear this logo.
The first principle is that authors must be qualified medical professionals, because 'unqualified' people should be clearly identified as such. The purpose is to diminish the credibility of anyone who is not licensed by the medical hierarchy, and to publicly label all potential competitors as unqualified.
Licensed To Kill: Andrew Witty Stars In Pharmakeia Royale
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 13, 2010 May 13, 2010
The name's Witty: Andrew Witty, and he'll be having his martini shaken, not stirred.
GlaxoSmithKline has begun settling lawsuits, because their diabetes drug Avandia causes heart attacks. This minor complication would be resolved in a criminal court if any of us mere mortals gave people drugs that killed, but GlaxoSmithKline has its license to kill. They call it F.D.A. approval. It's somewhat coincidental that their cancer drugs cause diabetes, and the diabetes drugs cause heart disease. All of which supposedly require more of their expensive drugs.
The F.D.A. recommended that Avandia be removed from the market after it caused a "substantial excess number" of heart attacks and heart failures. How many heart attacks are acceptable? How many have to die before their deaths are counted as an excess? How many deaths before their license to kill is revoked?
Reuters reported that Avandia is no longer a big product for GlaxoSmithKline, as the patent on the drug will run out in just two years. It is convenient that the public is notified of the danger only as the patent expires.
Autism and Vaccinations: Will Your Pediatrician Tell the Truth?
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- Written by Dr. Aleathea Wiggins Dr. Aleathea Wiggins
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 10, 2010 May 10, 2010
The controversy surrounding the connection between soaring autism rates and vaccinations continues to escalate. Pediatricians assure parents that most vaccines are safe, but is their word good enough to ease your fears? The research community says there are no conclusive scientific studies which prove that vaccinations cause autism. Opponents of vaccinations also make a valid point, which is that there have never been any long term, double blind studies for any vaccine ever to prove that they are not responsible for the development of autism in children. The vaccine testing, therefore, is on the general population.
Are you willing to play Russian roulette with your child’s brain? An analytical thinker will realize that something is causing autism and it is not just the drinking water. Decades ago, the autism rate was about 1 in 10,000. These days, the autism rate is more than 1 in 100. The interesting thing is that since the number of recommended vaccine injections has increased, so has the rate of autism.
How Monsanto Prevents Companies From Being Honest About rBGH Milk
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 09, 2010 May 09, 2010
There has been massive controversy over rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), and the arguments have not been limited to the safety implications surrounding this artificially produced hormone. 
Involved corporations and corrupt regulators have worked to stop us from knowing which milk contains growth hormones. The war over rBGH labeling is mostly lost. Monsanto (the manufacturer) fought hard to prevent us from knowing how most milk is produced. Thankfully, many dairy farmers and some major companies stood up for what is right. Walmart, Kroger, PET and certain other major companies pledged to sell only milk that has never been exposed to rBGH. It is rare that we have an opportunity to applaud large corporations, but the above group earned it.
Antidepressant Intoxication Legal Defenses
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- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Reports Reports
- Published: May 04, 2010 May 04, 2010
We have written about the dangers of S.S.R.I. antidepressants before. Such drugs may cause psychotic, suicidal, and even homicidal tendencies without warning signs. They are practically always untested and prescribed 'off label' (without approval) for children. This is our first attempt to provide precedent setting legal information that may help in mounting legal defenses based upon antidepressant intoxication (psychiatric drugging). This article includes a list of people who were either acquitted, or who received a reduction in sentence, due to the effects of the antidepressants that they were taking. This list was originally compiled by the S.A.V.E. Project (Stop Antidepressant Violence from Escalating), but it was not actually placed online at the respective web site. We will add more to this list as we discover more cases. If you know of an applicable case that we missed, then please notify us immediately about the omission, so that we can limit the number of victims that these pharmaceuticals claim.
We gladly release all of the information in this article into the Public Domain regarding copyrights, so freely take this information and reproduce it freely. You officially have our permission in writing.