Reading Room

Food Day Proclamation

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Tammera Karr, PhD accepting the Food Day Proclamation certificate from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners at the Food Day Proclamation event held Wednesday, October 24th, 2012.

The event was put together to bring awareness to what people put in their mouths and marks the first time Food Day was celebrated in Douglas County, Oregon.

Absurdity in the News

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD, BCHN, BCIH

Even though I have been enjoying the freedom of a dog’s life of late, I am still stunned by the absurdity of what is going on with government over-stepping, ineptness and corruption.

The recent story of a preschoolers lunch being confiscated by a state agent who was inspecting lunch boxes— which consisted of a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, apple juice and potato chips — “the agent stated it did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines.” The preferred food choice placed in front of the child by the state agent was chicken nuggets. So in the state workers mind, highly processes GMO wheat flour, antibiotic laden ground chicken parts, injected with chemical flavorings and sodium, GMO trans fats and sugar – is a healthier food choice over real food? I’d love to see a lab report on this person, I’m sure it would reflect the benefits of such impressive USDA food guidelines… (and yes I’m being sarcastic.)

Have the Pediatricians Lost Their Minds?

HPV vaccinations for boys – The American Academy of Pediatrics, now says all boys between the ages of 11 and 12 should receive the HPV vaccine—the same one that has harmed so many girls. No other vaccine lists and acknowledges the serious side effects that the HPV vaccine does. One particularly alarming side effect, listed by the manufacturer Merck even in advertisements, is seizure. Of the twelve other vaccines recommended by the CDC for children, only two—the controversial MMR combination vaccine and the HiB vaccine—list “seizure” as a safety concern.

There are 71 deaths reported through September 15 of 2011, associated to the HPV vaccine. The official party line is the adverse events are not peer-reviewed research and therefore may be ignored.

Prevention is so much better

The standard for cervical cancer screening, regular Pap smears, carries no side effects and when performed regularly can easily catch cervical cancer in time without complication. Women who have been vaccinated against HPV must still have regular Pap smears since the vaccine does not protect against all causes of cervical cancer.

Another powerful prevention strategy is to eat cruciferous vegetables or take the supplement DIM (diindolylmethane, a plant compound found in cruciferous vegetables), DIM may also be used therapeutically for those with cervical, breast and prostate cancer or pre-cancer.

The most effective combination prevention strategy both for viruses and for cancer (and certainly for cancer-linked viruses) is to maintain optimal levels of vitamin D. Most Americans are deficient in the vitamin. (Information – action alert from the www.anh-usa.org)

FDA thumbs nose at Senators

The FDA has flatly refused the Senate, rejecting the call of Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to withdraw its disastrous New Dietary Ingredient draft guidance and start over. Harkin and Hatch are the original drafters of DSHEA, the law that requires supplement manufacturers to submit notifications whenever an NDI is introduced into the marketplace. The FDA’s job was to articulate how those notifications are to be submitted, but they ignored the original intent of Congress and created a de facto approval system for any supplement or ingredient created or changed over the past eighteen years.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) in a letter to the FDA expressed regret over FDA’s dismissal of Senators Hatch and Harkin’s request and reiterating Congress did not intend to give the FDA pre-market review of new dietary ingredients, nor did it intend to permit the agency to treat dietary ingredients in the same manner as food additives.

The letter goes on to articulate the legal problems with FDA’s proposal, and strongly urges FDA to withdraw its guidance and instead design a fair and workable NDI notification system. It also requests that FDA refrain from taking any enforcement action that is based solely on positions articulated in the draft guidance that are not unequivocally grounded in the law.

Fox in Charge of hen house

In 2009, President Obama appointed Michael Taylor as a senior adviser for the FDA. Consumer groups protested the appointment because Taylor had formerly served as a vice president for Monsanto, the controversial agricultural multinational at the forefront of genetically modified food.

Taylor is the same person who was Food Safety Czar at the FDA when genetically modified organisms were allowed into the U.S. food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety or risks.

Taylor’s position, which is currently deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA, includes ensuring that food labels contain clear and accurate information, overseeing strategy for food safety and planning new food safety legislation. He is the first individual to hold the position.

Take Note: In January, Monsanto announced it was giving up plans to sell its insect-resistant maize in France. The move was seen as another major blow for genetically modified food in Europe, where resistance has been fierce, with six EU countries banning the cultivation of genetically modified maize.

There is more to good health than the Status Quo.

A New Kind Of Vegetable?

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD

On many evenings I listen to NPR news while driving part of the way home, this means twice a week I hear the news and invariably it takes me the rest of the week to get my blood pressure under control. This last Tuesday I learned the reasons why one should not be drinking hot beverages while driving and listening to the news.

As I navigated down the road, I heard the following statement, “Who needs leafy greens and carrots when pizza and french fries will do?” at this point I was drawing warm liquid in and promptly shot it out my nose onto the steering wheel, as a burst of laughter took me, before I realized the reporter was serious. !

The NPR reporter went on to say – “The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year. The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. USDA had wanted to only count a half-cup of tomato paste or more as a vegetable, and a serving of pizza has less than that.”

Now I know – I am somewhat of a “health” food nut job, but really are we still wasting tax payers money and time during this economically challenging times discussing whether pizza and French fries count as healthy vegetables for our kids to be eating? And every nutrition blog site on the web is going on about the absurdity of it and it’s reminiscent of the Reagan administration’s attempt 30 years ago to classify ketchup as a vegetable to cut costs. As much as many regard President Regan with high esteem, even his administration made a few blunders. (send all hate mail to the editors)

One of the major differences this time around is the power of the food industry lobbyists, paid hundreds of thousands to promote an industry agenda regardless of the common sense of the matter. This time around, food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and potato growers are pushing the changes in Congress. “School meals that are subsidized by the federal government must include a certain amount of vegetables, and USDA’s proposal could have pushed pizza-makers and potato growers out of the school lunch business.” Do they really believe it is necessary to reclassify Pizza and French fries in order to secure their profit margin?

According to the NPR article and several other news sites, “some conservatives argue that the federal government shouldn’t tell children what to eat.” I agree it is called responsible parenting, these foods were reserved for special occasions when I was a teen in the 80’s, they were costly and understood to be an indulgence by my working parents. My husband’s homemade lunches were so horrible, he had a waiting list of classmates who wanted to buy it from him. And our son, was terribly abused, he was forst to learn to eat real food too.

In a summary of the bill, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would “prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and …provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals.” Once again why is this not a matter for local school board to decide, not the federal government?

“The Senate last month voted to block the potato limits in its version, with opposition to the restrictions led by potato-growing states. Neither version of the bill included the latest provisions on tomato paste, sodium or whole grains; House and Senate negotiators added those in the last two weeks as they put finishing touches on the legislation.” The really sad part about all this is the dumbing down of our nations children through poor nutrition that ultimately leads to skyrocketing healthcare costs and early death.

Nutrition advocate Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said of Congress, “They are making sure that two of the biggest problems in the school lunch program, pizza and french fries, are untouched,” and a group of retired generals advocating for healthier school lunches also criticized the spending bill.

The group, called Mission: Readiness, has called poor nutrition in school lunches a national security issue because obesity is the leading medical disqualifier for military service.

“We are outraged that Congress is seriously considering language that would effectively categorize pizza as a vegetable in the school lunch program,” Amy Dawson Taggart, the director of the group, said in a letter to lawmakers before the final bill was released. “It doesn’t take an advanced degree in nutrition to call this a national disgrace.”

Amen to that – and I do have an advanced degree in nutrition.

According to online news sources, the bill would:

“— Block the Agriculture Department from limiting starchy vegetables, including corn and peas, to two servings a week. The rule was intended to cut down on french fries, which many schools serve daily.

— Allow USDA to count two tablespoons of tomato paste as a vegetable, as it does now. The department had attempted to require that only a half-cup of tomato paste could be considered a vegetable. Federally subsidized lunches must have a certain number of vegetables to be served.

— Require further study on long-term sodium reduction requirements set forth by the USDA guidelines.

— Require USDA to define “whole grains” before they regulate them. The USDA rules require schools to use more whole grains.

Food companies who have fought the USDA standards say they were too strict and neglected the nutrients that potatoes, other starchy vegetables and tomato paste do offer. (And what do these foods do for the obesity, diabetes and cholesterol epidemic in our youth?)

The school lunch provisions are part of a final House-Senate compromise on a $182 billion measure that would fund the day-to-day operations of the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. ”

At it Again-be Warned

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD, BCHN, BCIH

I look forward to the holidays, my efforts to provide you with warm uplifting holiday cheer however is on hold this week as our illustrious congressmen are at it again – hoping we are all having dreams of health freedom dancing in our heads while we sleep.

Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Henry Waxman are trying a new tactic in their attack on supplements after previous legislative failures. They have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review adverse event report data—but only for supplements. The GAO operates at the call of Congress, so some action on this request is inevitable.

In a statement, Sen. Durbin said, “The FDA has the tools necessary to determine which supplements can cause and have caused severe health problems—they should use them effectively.”

There is no evidence that legitimate supplements, that comply with existing law, have caused severe health problems. What the FDA needs to do is enforce existing law, not muddy the waters with continued bad policy, bureaucracy and ineptness.

The Alliance for Natural Health editorial posted on November 22, 2011- “Durbin’s idea that the FDA has the expertise to evaluate all supplements is pure fantasy. They aren’t set up for it and would fail even if they were. The agency is biased against supplements, it wants them to go through the drug approval process and thereby contribute to the agency’s budget. The end result of this mindset will simply be to clear the shelves of supplements.”

Just look at the number of adverse events reported (AER) for vaccines and drugs for 2008 alone:

Supplements: 1,080 adverse events, of which 672 were considered serious;
Vaccines: 26,517 adverse events, of which 3,923 were considered serious;
Prescription drugs and “therapeutic biologics”: 526,527 adverse events, of which 275,421 “had serious outcomes.”

What may be considered an adverse event for one category may not be for another. If an FDA-approved drug has listed in the product labeling that it can cause fainting or nausea, chest pains or seizures, then it is considered to be within the range of expected outcomes.

USA Today noted, when it comes to supplements, what the FDA considers an adverse event can be “anything from a concern that a supplement isn’t working to a serious illness that follows consumption.”

What is clear is there are over 487 times more AERs for FDA-approved prescription drugs than for supplements, and 409 times more serious events for drugs than supplements. And Durbin thinks it’s supplements that are endangering the public?

The lack of attention to vaccine AERs is criminal, Alliance for Natural Health (http://www.anh-usa.org) reported the cover-up of HPV vaccine adverse events in the fall of 2011. The Institute of Medicine says it will only look at peer-reviewed research on vaccine AERs, but won’t sponsor any. They then conclude that vaccines like the dangerous HPV shots are “safe” because there is no “evidence” otherwise. “Huh, really are you serious?”

FDA positioning to incorporate European Union dietary regulations

In many areas of health practice and education, the European model is greatly restricted when compared to the US model. This means we can look to what has already happened in Europe to understand the consequences of the laws and regulations proposed here in the United States, as the laws and regulations often mimic those already in place in in the European Union.

KEY POINTS

Natural healthcare, most especially herbal medicine, is under fire in Europe at the moment. The losers in this process are the smaller players who have long been at the forefront of providing the most therapeutically relevant natural products.
1. The FDA has been getting closer to the European authorities, they have worked together as the two most powerful entities in the Codex Alimentarius for many years. On July 2, 2007, the FDA signed a key agreement for scientific cooperation with the controversial European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
2. The Novel Foods Regulation in Europe requires pre-market approval for foods or food ingredients not used ‘significantly’ in the EU before 15th May 1997; and the Food Supplements Directive limits choice in food supplements and aims to reduce the maximum dosage of those remaining to levels that do nothing except prevent gross deficiency.
3. In the USA– Dietary supplements are regulated by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. DSHEA has yet to be fully implemented, came about following the largest popular mobilisation against Congress ever seen in the USA. A pre-market authorization system, like the THMPD, would create an impossible obstacle for smaller companies.
The Trilateral Cooperation Charter
1. The Charter was established in 2004 and signaled the intent of the USA, Canada and Mexico to combine their efforts in a trade protection bloc, focused primarily not on facilitating trade, but cracking down on “drugs, biologics, medical devices, food safety, and nutrition.”

After some 700 products were forced off the market, and the public and campaign groups started objecting, the FDA has withdrawn the Charter’s website.

The FDA constructed an incredibly broad definition of health fraud. Obvious targets are products that compete with pharmaceuticals because they are effective.

Health Fraud Definition [from the Trilateral Cooperation Charter]

The false, deceptive, or misleading promotion, advertisement, distribution, sale, possession for sale, or offering for sale of products or provision of services, intended for human use, that are represented as being safe and/or effective to diagnose, prevent, cure, treat, or mitigate disease (or other conditions), to rehabilitate patients or to provide a beneficial effect on health. Source: FDA, 2006

Regulators worldwide are working increasingly together, it’s no surprise we can expect increasing convergence in regulatory systems. This is what globalisation is, and it’s all about making the environment as cosy as possible for the biggest corporate players. Big Pharma, Big Food and Big Biotech are among the masterminds of this system.

Even though it is the holiday season, don’t let yourself be lulled into fantasia – the most valuable gift you ever receive is your health, it is your responsibility to protect it. Write your representatives before the end of 2011 voicing your opinion on what is happening to your health rights.

Food- a God Given Right?

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD

I’ve tried folks – I really have to give you a break from the insanity of government regulations pertaining to health freedom. But time is of the essence and many wars have been lost from failure to recognize the importance of a given battle.

CODEX comes into full effect January 1, 2012, with this we are only going to see more attempts from political persons, multinational corporations and government regulatory agencies to pass legislation and policies in direct violation of our constitutional rights, not to mention our God given rights. Why is it so important we win this battle over all the others? Every country and government from the dawn of time has known “who controls the water, food and land” has control of the populace. With the current trend of multinational corporations, many of which are majority owned by countries like China and India, the implementation of CODEX, not only are we facing the demise of our countries economic health, we will see the collapse of the populaces as well.

Time and time I have mentioned quality nutrition leads to vibrant health and minds, this nutrition can’t be obtained through bags, boxes, bottles and cans. It must be obtained through wholesome natural foods, eaten fresh, with the inclusion of quality nutraceuticals. If we allow the Durbin bill and the FDA regulations to pass, we will see the loss of hundreds of American owned nutraceutical companies, natural health providers and freedom to buy and grow the food we want.

Am I being a reactionary? Have I spent too much time listening to my editors at the Beacon? Have I simply gone off my rocker? Before you pass judgment take a look at the following information, check it out yourself by all means don’t take my word on it. But whatever you do DON’T Just give in.

On Aug 4,2011, a small food coop in LA county California was raided by law enforcement, and FDA agents with “Guns Drawn”. Over $70,000 of privately owned food was confiscated and 800 gallons of raw milk destroyed. The manager of the food coop was removed from the premises in hand cuffs without the reading of his rights. This food was all privately owned by the coop members and you must be a member in order to get your food.

Combine this information with what the FDA public position is (posted on the “Farm to Consumer – Legal Defense Fund” website www.ftcldf.org/litigation-FDA-status.htm) it doesn’t take an Einstein to see we are in a world of hurt.

Bye-bye, Constitutional Rights

“On April 26, 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted its response to a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF). The FTCLDF lawsuit claims that the federal regulations (21 CFR 1240.61 and 21 CFR 131.110) banning raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce are unconstitutional and outside of FDA’s statutory authority as applied to FTCLDF’s members and the named individual plaintiffs in the suit. In its answer to the complaint, FDA made its position on the issue of ‘freedom of food choice’ a part of the public record.
The agency has long opposed ‘freedom of food choice’ but its response to the FTCLDF complaint represents FDA’s strongest public statement yet on the freedom to obtain and consume the foods of one’s choice.

FDA’s Views on Freedom of Food Choice

“Plaintiffs’ assertion of a new ‘fundamental right’ to produce, obtain, and consume unpasteurized milk lacks any support in law.” [p. 4]
“It is within HHS’s authority . . . to institute an intrastate ban [on unpasteurized milk] as well.” [p. 6]
“Plaintiffs’ assertion of a new ‘fundamental right’ under substantive due process to produce, obtain, and consume unpasteurized milk lacks any support in law.” [p.17]
“There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food.” [p. 25]
“There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds.” [p. 26]
“Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families’ is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.” [p. 26]
FDA’s brief goes on to state “even if such a right did exist, it would not render FDA’s regulations unconstitutional because prohibiting the interstate sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk promotes bodily and physical health.” [p. 27]
“There is no fundamental right to freedom of contract.” [p. 27]

The Fight for Food Freedom
Growing numbers of people in this country are obtaining the foods of their choice through private arrangements. The FDA’s position is – the agency can interfere with these agreements because, in the FDA’s view, there is no fundamental right to enter into a private contract to obtain the foods of choice from the source of choice.

Are we seeing red yet?

As for the agency’s contention that there is no fundamental right to obtain any food, including raw milk, here is what the ‘substantive due process’ clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Obtaining the foods of your choice is so basic to life, liberty and property that it is inconceivable that the ‘right of food choice’ would not be protected under the Constitution but the FDA is saying “No”.” {information taken from the FTCLDF website.}

It is time to cut the strings and step out of the puppet parade folks, we have countless laws on the books, and executive orders that were intended to be temporary, not everlasting strangle holds on freedom. I know my Scots/Irish blood is up, the same blood of my ancestors that has fought, bled and won Americas freedom – To pens and keyboards the battle must be won before 2012!

To Your Good Health and Food Freedom.

Nutrition News – parts I-III

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD

If you’re a natural health junky, you may find yourself dizzy with all the news about Vitamin D. Is it good for you, do you need to supplement, how much and what kind?

Then there is all the conflicting information about antioxidants and fats. Would someone please make up their mind… As with all things we have to look at who is the source of the information and can they back up what they are saying with something more than a rat study. Let’s start with Vitamin D.

In the late winter of 2011 the American Medical Association posted an “opinion” on vitamin D. In this “opinion” the AMA said, we believe that the lab results on millions of Americans showing low vitamin D must be wrong. We do not believe Americans need to be taking large doses of Vitamin D and the lab values need to be changed to reflect what we believe to be normal levels. Now this isn’t a direct quote, but you get the idea. What did the AMA base this “opinion” on? You got me, as I went back through their public statement I could find NO studies sited to support their opinion, nether could I find information that would lead me to believe the lab values are wrong. Here is some of the most current information on vitamin D.

University of San Diego, February 22, 2011 – Higher Vitamin D Intake Needed to Reduce Cancer Risk

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha have reported that markedly higher intake of vitamin D is needed to reach blood levels that can prevent or markedly cut the incidence of breast cancer and several other major diseases than had been originally thought. The findings are published February 21 in the journal Anticancer Research.

While these levels are higher than traditional intakes, they are largely in a range deemed safe for daily use in a December 2010 report from the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. “We found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000-8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases – breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes,”

“Most scientists who are actively working with vitamin D now believe that 40 to 60 ng/ml is the appropriate target concentration of 25-vitamin D in the blood for preventing the major vitamin D-deficiency related diseases, and have joined in a letter on this topic”. “Unfortunately, according a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, only 10 percent of the US population has levels in this range, mainly people who work outdoors.”

Now let’s take a look at what is happening in the FDA- June 2011, Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D. and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are pushing for milk manufactures to increase the fortification amounts of vitamin D. Now on the surface you may think what is wrong with that? Here are a few reasons; millions of Americans are lactose intolerant or have milk allergies and therefore don’t consume milk. Vitamin D is a hormone activated by sunlight. Due to their darker skin, African Americans require six to ten times the amount of sun exposure Caucasian Americans do to activate the same amount of vitamin D. In consequence, African Americans are much more likely to be deficient in vitamin D.

Through a combination of mandated and encouraged practices, the FDA depends upon milk to deliver virtually all supplemental dietary vitamin D to Americans. The FDA knows African, Asian, Indian, Latin and Native Americans consume little milk, particularly relative to Caucasian Americans. The FDA, in effect, chooses to fortify a food that does not target a population who most need vitamin D. (Your Tax Dollars at Work)

What if someone is an adolescent, obese, elderly, home bound or has a chronic illness like Crohn’s, IBS or Diabetes? These are individuals who also consume little or no dairy, and or are known to have low levels of vitamin D. As I have mentioned before in this column, it is estimated that we could save over $28 billion in Medicare costs alone for those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) by supplementing everyone with a minimal amount of vitamin D3. And the 2011 American Society for Nutrition posted a study showing “that a higher intake of vitamin D is associated with a lower risk of CVD in men.”

Why is the AMA saying Americans don’t need vitamin D? Why should we listen to their “opinion”?

part II

For years the media has had a field day reporting on antioxidants like vitamin E and C. The last few years the news has been all about the uselessness of these vitamins and that they may even be a detriment to your health. Much of this information is based on a poorly designed study method called “meta-studies or meta-analysis”. These studies are comprised of a collection of unrelated studies with different controls lumped together. So if you have 150 participants who are male of mixed age taking synthetic vitamin E, combine that with 25 heart patients taking mixed tocotrienols, and 100 women athletes using natural vitamin E, do you really think the information you get is going to be accurate on vitamin E and heart disease in elderly males?

So what does current research show with antioxidants?

Free radicals are produced during normal cellular metabolism and are both beneficial and harmful to human health. Overproduction of free radicals, in conjunction with a deficiency in antioxidants, can lead to oxidative stress and, consequently, damage to cellular lipids, proteins and DNA.

Three of the most-prominent dietary antioxidants are vitamins C and E, and the carotenoids. Vitamin C protects molecules in the body, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, DNA and RNA, from free-radical damage, and it may also help regenerate other antioxidants, such as vitamin E (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999; 69:1,086-1,107).

The carotenoid lycopene is best known for its potential role in protecting against prostate cancer. Studies have found lycopene inhibits tumor growth (Journal of Nutrition, 2005; 135:287-290), and human clinical trials have also found tomato sauce, which is naturally rich in lycopene, may help suppress the progression of prostate cancer (Nutrition and Cancer, 2003; 47:40-47). Lycopene also protects low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation, therefore protecting against atherosclerosis (Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2010; 504:26-33).

Two additional carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, are the only two antioxidants found in the macula of the eye, the part of the retina responsible for central vision. These two carotenoids protect the retina from oxidative stress and filter harmful blue rays. And higher plasma levels of lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2006; 47:2,329-2,335; Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2003; 44:2,461-2,465). You don’t need a special vitamin to help your eyes – eat your greens, ½ cup cooked spinach 5-7 times a week will give you more macular degeneration protection than a poorly made synthetic supplement. Alaskan Salmon and Tomatoes are perfect summer foods that make lutein and astaxanthin available for your eyes as well.

Anthocyanins are non-selective Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors (Natures Anti-Inflammatorys)(Journal of Natural Products, 1999; 62(2):294-296), and cellular studies indicate anthocyanins can inhibit LDL oxidation and lipid peroxidation and reduce markers of inflammation – (Heart Disease) (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2002;13:282-288; Journal of Food Science, 2008; 73:H113–H121). In addition, 240 ml of rich tart cherry juice consumed twice daily for 14 days improved plasma measures of antioxidant defenses in healthy older adults (Journal of Nutrition, 2009; 139:1,896-1,900). A few additional studies have found that tart cherry juice can help significantly decrease strength loss and pain compared to placebo after a bout of exercise (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006; 40:679-683), and helped runners tame inflammation and recover strength significantly faster than a placebo after a marathon (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2010; 20:843-852).

So why do you need a pain medication that damages your digestive system and increases your risk of stroke when you can eat foods designed by God to protect your health?

Other antioxidant rich foods available this time of year include blueberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, swiss chard, purple and sweet onions, strawberries, mixed salad greens locally grown, tomatoes, peaches, apricots, garlic…. The list just goes on and on. Remember fresh foods from foreign countries have significantly fewer health benefits than those grown closer to you. The longer fresh foods are in cold storage the more the vitamins and minerals are leached from them. Support your local farmers, Buy local for a healthy independent economy.

part III

No Fat, Low Fat, Plastic Fat, Genetically Modified Fat, Hydrogenated Fat, Vegetable Fat, Saturated Fat…. Fat is bad, Fat makes you Fat , Fat causes heart disease. How much of the hype on fat is true? Is fat bad for us, and if that is the case why did we consume fat for years and have fewer illnesses than today? Is the fat scare really a market made for an industry?

Let’s take a look at how many areas of the human body need fat and what it’s role is. Fat protects our internal organs, our brain is made up of 85% fat, our nerve pathways are made up of fats called lipids, so are our cell membranes, hormones and we need fat in our diet to balance blood sugars.

Our DNA knows what to do with traditional fats from fish, animals and whole foods like nuts, seeds and grains. Where the problem lies is in modern food manufacturing practices. The ongoing quest for an easier life through chemistry. Traditional cooking has utilized butter (ghee), poultry fat like goose and duck grease, lard, olive, palm and coconut oils for centuries. Poorer nations still depend heavily on these oils and with a fraction of the health challenges of heart disease, diabetes type 2 and cancer that economically advanced? Nations like America.

So what does current research tell us about FAT?

Older adults who consume a diet rich in olive oil may reduce their risk of stroke by 41% compared to those who never consume it, according to a new study published online in the journal Neurology. The findings suggest the protective benefits are strongest for individuals who regularly use olive oil for both cooking and as salad dressing.

“Our research suggests that a new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in people 65 and older,” said study author Cécilia Samieri, PhD, with the University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). “Stroke is so common in older people and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it.”

The Modern Diet

New research released at a symposium June 13, 2011 in New Orleans –supports that individuals can actually taste the fat in food, and those who can’t, may face an increased risk of higher fat intake and obesity. These studies also show some individuals cannot taste fat, and these “non-tasters,” are associated with genetic variances in the way some individuals process food. When combined with environmental factors, poor diet and the use of processed and fast food – these individuals were more likely to ingest a greater amount of processed fat, and subsequently faced a higher risk of obesity.

What about Flax seed and Flax Oil?

New research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago suggests flaxseed does not reduce hot flashes among breast cancer patients and postmenopausal women. The findings contradict previous research that suggested flaxseed reduced hot flashes by 57 percent.

The researchers conducted a study involving 188 postmenopausal women who ate a daily flaxseed bar for six weeks. They found no statistically significant difference in mean hot flash scores between women taking flaxseed and those taking a placebo.

Additionally, research done by Ingrid Edstrom, FNP-C of Infrared Breast Health has found flax increases estrogen in both men and women increasing enlargement of the prostate and breast health issues. Flax oil is very sensitive to heat and light making it far from a healthy fat choice.

A Word about Cholesterol

New research out of Texas A&M University suggests “bad cholesterol” (LDL) may not be as bad as previously thought and may help build muscle mass in physically active adults.

“It shows that you do need a certain amount of LDL to gain more muscle mass. There’s no doubt you need both—the LDL and the HDL—and the truth is, it (cholesterol) is all good. You simply can’t remove all the ‘bad’ cholesterol from your body without serious problems occurring,”.

“Our tissues need cholesterol, and LDL delivers it,” he notes. “HDL, the good cholesterol, cleans up after the repair is done. And the more LDL you have in your blood, the better you are able to build muscle during resistance training.”

The findings may prove helpful in looking at a condition called sarcopenia, which is muscle loss due to aging. Previous studies show muscle is usually lost at a rate of 5 percent per decade after the age of 40, After age of 60, the prevalence of moderate to severe sarcopenia is found in about 65 percent of all men and about 30 percent of all women, and it accounts for more than $18 billion of health care costs in the United States.

Eating healthy natural fats in moderation may be just what the nutritionist ordered if not your doctor.

To Your Good Health.

Under Fire – Your Natural Health Freedoms

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD

On July 1, 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance for complying with the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notification protocols required by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). This action will turn a notification system into an approval system – JUST LIKE DRUGS.

The current bills “Free Speech About Science Act (H.R. 1364)” and S.1310, have the potential to be devastating to your health freedom rights. Not only will the passing of these bills prevent the dissemination of legitement health information regarding natural foods like walnuts, pomegranates, blueberries and cherries, but it also requires American Owned nutritional companies to stop manufacturing of any products developed prior to 1990.

Both the Durbin bill and the dangerous FDA’s proposed NDI guidance seek to give the FDA broad new authority to disapprove supplements or supplement ingredients on totally arbitrary grounds, with no rules or standards. If allowed to stand, over time this will drastically reduce the number of supplements and supplement potencies, raise prices substantially, injure our ability to take care of our health, raise healthcare costs, stifle supplement innovation, nutrition research and cost millions of jobs.

S.1310 – The proposed law trusts the FDA and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to decide what levels and combinations of dietary ingredients are considered safe. Given the FDA’s profound bias against supplements, and the skewed, anti-science recommendations of the IOM’s recent vitamin D report, these are hardly trustworthy sources of guidance.

These guidelines coordinated closely with a similar clampdown happening in Europe. The guidelines bear an uncanny likeness to the European Union’s Novel Food Regulation. The justification given for the new guidelines is – consumer safety. “But where are the dead bodies?” It’s actually a pertinent question, one rarely taken seriously by the FDA or other regulators.

An examination of the last two years of US National Poison Data System (NPDS) reveals, of all products to which we are exposed that might cause harm, pharmaceutical drugs caused 80% and 81% of fatalities, respectively. The majority of these were from unintentional poisoning. The NPDS data, combined with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows emphatically that botanicals and dietary supplements are the safest products we can use for our health.

In the most recent 2009 NPDS dataset, one death is reported, it was concurrent with an “unknown dietary supplement or homeopathic agent.” So they have no idea of what the cause of death was, only that the individual was also taking a homeopath or supplement. Maybe they ate walnuts for their heart and choked or had an allergic reaction?

If the bill is passed, both the FDA nor the IOM can make it all up as they go. Their judgments can be completely arbitrary.

The Dietary Supplement Labeling Act needs to be defeated. S.1310 has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for further deliberation.

H.R. 1364 – On April 5, 2011, a bipartisan bill was introduced into the House of Representatives called the Free Speech About Science Act (H.R. 1364). This landmark legislation protects basic free speech rights, ends censorship of science, and enables the natural health products community to share peer-reviewed scientific findings with the public.

The Free Speech About Science bill has the potential to transform medical practice by educating the public about the real science behind natural health and healthy food choices – In essence putting the control of your health back into your hands through information.

For this very reason, the bill will be opposed by the FDA and drug companies, since it restricts their ability to censor the dissemination of published scientific data. Drug companies fearing competition from natural health approaches based on diet, dietary supplements, and lifestyle.

By the way DeFazio responded to my letter with - “I support allowing food and supplement producers to print reasonable nutrition and health information, but am concerned that H.R. 1364 poses too great of a risk for false or unsubstantiated claims. Unfortunately, however, H.R. 1364 is not the way to get there.” This is from a representative who said “we pass bills all the time that are unconstitutional; it’s up to the courts to sort it out.”

Passage of the Free Speech About Science Act will stop federal agencies like the FDA from squandering tax dollars on censoring information about health-promoting, practices, foods and nutrients.

Please take the time to voice your opinion, they view each e-mail and letter as representative of 1,000 voices – we can make a difference. Do not delay, the Durbin S.1310 bill is a critical bill to stop. Time is of the essence.

To Your Good Health and Freedom.

Woe to Walnuts

by Tammera J. Karr, PhD, CHN, BCIH, CNC, CNW, CNH

The walnut is one of the special foods that have caught the attention of the FDA. I had hoped it was because of its shape resembling that of the human brain, but alas I was wrong.

Walnuts have joined the exclusive group of foods including cherries and blueberries, the FDA has listed as “unauthorized drugs” – no you didn’t read that wrong. Last year the FDA determined walnuts sold by Diamond Foods cannot be legally marketed because the walnuts “are not generally recognized as safe and effective” for medical conditions referenced on the Diamond website.

According to a report in the August 2011edition of Life Extension Magazine and supported by my research the FDA classified walnuts as “a drug” and unauthorized health claims cause them to become “misbranded,” subjecting them to government “seizer or injunction.” And Diamond Food was forced to capitulate in order to keep their doors open.

Life Extension sited over 46 studies supporting the health benefits of walnuts. Here is a little banned information for your health on walnuts.

Walnuts may help to prevent atherosclerosis (by lowering LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein (a) levels), breast cancer, and retard the growth of prostate cancer cells and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Power packed with minerals, vitamins, amino acids, healthy fats, and antioxidants, walnuts for those who are not allergic or sensitive to nuts may be one of the most important foods you can incorporate into your daily diet. Of all nuts, walnuts contain the highest content of the important essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. This EFA is necessary for the protection of the nerve pathways, muscle, heart, brain and liver health.

Now what makes the ruling by the FDA so very irksome to me is their stand on medications and commercial foods. Every year there is a long list of drugs on recall because they are not safe – most of these drugs the general public never hears about. Before all this happened very few consumers logged onto the Diamond website to read about the health benefits of walnuts, the same is true of the Cherry Growers of America website in 2006 that mentioned the health benefits of antioxidant, proanthocyanidins rich cherries.

What the consumers do hear loud and clear are advertisements for artery-clogging, high calorie, chemical drenched junk foods. The FDA allows potato chips to be advertised as “Heart Health”, Frito-Lay is a subsidiary of the PepsiCo, Inc®, makers of Pepsi®. Frito-lay® sells $12 billion a year in Lays ®potato chips, Doritoes®, Tostitos®, Cheetos® and Fritos®. Now those of us reading this column more than likely would never consider these snack foods as “healthy choices” but the FDA allows this company to place on it’s website statements like the following;

“Frito-Lay snacks start with farm –grown ingredients …. Good stuff like potatoes which contain vitamin C and essential minerals,… corn one of the world’s most popular grains packed with B-vitamins and phosphorous – all necessary for healthy bones, teeth, nerves and muscles. Our all-natural oils help lower total and LDL “bad” cholesterol and maintain good cholesterol HDL levels which support a healthy heart.”

Please excuse me while I run to the bathroom to be ill. Sure looked like a health claim to me, how about you? Oh and just in case you were wondering Frito® also owns Nut Harvest, a competitor to Diamond Nuts.

The FDA and FTC are proposing new regulations that will stop the ability of natural food businesses from disseminating scientific research supporting the consumption of said foods. And it doesn’t stop there, your ability to buy nutritional supplements is once again under fire by these regulatory agencies. The combined sales from natural food producers and nutritional companies is a fraction of what monster junk food companies like Frito-Lay® earn in a year.

That is why it is so very important for the small businesses that are American Owned and consumers to fight back. Together is the only way we can protect our health, farms, businesses and country from Gestapo tactics supported by the FDA and FTC. It’s time to remind them of who their boss really is – us the citizenry of America.

Make your opinion known about “Free Speech About Science Act (H.R. 1364)” today.

To Your Good Health.

Melatonin Inhibits a Process that Leads to Colitis in Animal Study

VRP Staff
Breaking News

In an animal study published in the Journal of Pineal Research, melatonin inhibited enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases, thought to be involved in the development of colitis due to their ability to break down proteins such as collagen.

Matrix metalloproteinases function in tumor cell invasion and metastasis, wound healing, and angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). They are normally found in the spaces between cells (extracellular) in tissues and play a role in breaking down extracellular matrix proteins such as collagens. This poses a problem in regards to cancer, since extracellular matrix compartments act as the primary barriers to tumor growth and spread. Matrix metalloproteinases have been linked to breast, ovarian, colorectal, and lung cancers and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors are becoming a common treatment to inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis.

Matrix metalloproteinases also play an important role in the pathogenesis of colitis. Additionally, past studies have documented that melatonin exerts an important anti-inflammatory effect in colitis. Therefore, researchers investigated melatonin’s effects on experimental colitis in rats to see whether it exerted its effects by influencing matrix metalloproteinases.

Researchers induced colitis in animals. Four days later, the scientists noted colonic damage in the rodents along with increased levels of the inflammatory marker TNF-alpha. The researchers then measured matrix metalloproteinase activity in colon tissues from the rats with colitis.

When the rodents were given melatonin, the hormone prevented colon injury and lipid peroxidation in rats 4 days after colitis was induced. Melatonin also reduced matrix metalloproteinase activities that occurred in the colon tissues of the rats with induced colitis. The reduced activity of the matrix metalloproteinases was associated with an accompanying reduction in the inflammatory marker TNF-alpha.

The researchers concluded that melatonin’s ability to reduce experimental colitis in rats is related to a reduction in matrix metalloproteinase activities and expression.

Reference:

Esposito E, Mazzon E, Riccardi L, Caminiti R, Meli R, Cuzzocrea S. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 and metalloproteinase-2 activity and expression is reduced by melatonin during experimental colitis. J Pineal Res. 2008 Apr 21. Published online ahead of print.

Resveratrol and Quercetin May Play Role in Weight Management

A new in vitro study indicates that resveratrol and quercetin inhibit fat accumulation in adipocytes (fat cells).

Certain flavonoids have specific effects on biochemical and metabolic functions of fat cells. Therefore, in a cell culture study, researchers investigated the effects of the flavonoids resveratrol and quercetin on fat cell genesis and fat cell death.

Results indicated that resveratrol and quercetin, when given to the fat cells separately, each suppressed fat accumulation in maturing pre-adipocytes by 9 to 15 percent respectively. The combination of resveratrol and quercetin decreased lipid accumulation cells by more than 68 percent.

Furthermore, combinations of resveratrol and quercetin significantly decreased the expression of two factors involved in fat cell maturation: peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein. Resveratrol and quercetin also individually decreased the viability of mature fat cells by 18 and 15 percent respectively. When administered together, the two flavonoids increased programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the mature adipocytes more than the single compounds alone.

Reference:

Yang JY, Della-Fera MA, Rayalam S, Ambati S, Hartzell DL, Park HJ, Baile CA. Enhanced inhibition of adipogenesis and induction of apoptosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with combinations of resveratrol and quercetin. Life Sci. 2008 Mar 21. Published online ahead of print.